San Luis Reservoir at 1.47M af, 45% Above the Five-Year Median

San Luis Reservoir stands at 1.47M af as water year 2027 opens, up 3% on the week and 45% above its five-year median (Bureau of Reclamation). The reservoir is California's primary south-of-Delta buffer for CVP and SWP contractors.

• Salt-Gila streamflow: 10,800 cfs, up 3,771% week over week and 4,575% above the five-year median (USGS). The largest percentage move in this week's tracked series.
• San Juan-Colorado: 3,260 cfs, up 208% week over week and 372% above the three-year median (USGS). Upper Colorado tributary flows are running well above recent norms.
• Rio Grande: 1,440 cfs, up 93% on the week and 313% above the five-year median (USGS).
• Dolores-Colorado: 240 cfs, up 116% on the week and 174% above the five-year median (USGS).
• Lake Oroville: 1.63M af, down 5% on the week and 14% below its five-year median (Bureau of Reclamation).
• Elephant Butte Reservoir: 31,826 af, 71% below its five-year median (Bureau of Reclamation), the widest storage deficit among tracked reservoirs this week.

Drought: Kings County and Fresno County each sit at 0% drought coverage (US Drought Monitor), 99 pts and 36 pts below their respective five-year medians. No change in either on the week.

Allocations (standing status): CVP Sacramento River irrigation, M&I, Settlement, American River M&I (Folsom) and In-Delta M&I contracts all stand at 100%, as announced by Reclamation on February 26, 2026. SWP stands at 45%, as announced by DWR on May 1, 2026. No allocation changed this week.

Bureau of Reclamation's September 15, 2026 24-Month Study projects Lake Powell to operate under the Low Elevation Infrastructure Protection Range in water year 2027, with an expected annual release of 6.00 to 7.00 maf.

Data note: The CVP cross-valley irrigation allocation and CVP south-of-delta irrigation allocation series have not updated in over two weeks. Treat those specific figures as stale.