Navajo Reservoir Storage — Page Note

Current Status: Navajo Reservoir is holding 950,526 acre-feet (af), approximately 14% below the historical 5-year median. Storage levels remain tight across seasonal and annual timescales.

Recent Trends:

• Week-over-week: Down 1.9% (18,754 af decline) — modest weekly drawdown
• Month-over-month: Down 6.4% (69,474 af decline) — meaningful seasonal drainage
• Year-over-year: Down 9.3% (100,474 af decline) — substantial annual shortfall

Context: The year-over-year decline of 9.3% reflects sustained water scarcity in the San Juan-Colorado basin, consistent with multi-year drought conditions in the Upper Colorado River System. The current deficit relative to the 5-year median signals that 2026 is tracking below recent historical patterns.

Interpretation: Storage is declining across all measured intervals. The month-over-month drop suggests active summer drawdown for irrigation and downstream demands. The year-over-year comparison indicates this drawdown is worse than conditions at this time last year, reflecting continued pressure on basin supplies.