A series of river gauges located at major diversion structures along the Rio Grande showed the movement of water as it traveled downstream through southern New Mexico.
Source: Elephant Butte Irrigation District
Photo: (Cover) Mesilla Dam Courtesy Bureau of Reclamation
Water released from Elephant Butte Reservoir for the 2026 irrigation season reached Mesilla Dam on Saturday, bringing the annual Rio Grande Project irrigation flow to the Mesilla Valley.
A series of river gauges located at major diversion structures along the Rio Grande showed the movement of water as it traveled downstream through southern New Mexico. The flow first appeared below Caballo Dam before reaching the Hayner, Leasburg and Mesilla gauges in succession, illustrating the time required for water released upstream to move through the river system.
Gauge data from Caballo, Hayner, Leasburg and Mesilla diversion structures shows the progression of irrigation releases through the Rio Grande Project as water moved downstream toward the Mesilla Valley on May 30.
According to the Bureau of Reclamation’s 2026 Annual Operating Plan, irrigation releases from Elephant Butte Reservoir were scheduled to begin around 8 a.m. on April 28, while releases from Caballo Reservoir were scheduled to begin May 29. Water managers warned at the time that dry river channels below both dams would take on water quickly as irrigation operations ramped up.
The arrival of irrigation water in the Mesilla Valley comes amid challenging drought conditions throughout the Rio Grande Basin.
Federal water managers described 2026 as a third consecutive dry year marked by one of the lowest snowpacks on record and the earliest snowmelt observed in the basin. Most reservoirs along the Rio Chama and Rio Grande entered the irrigation season holding less than 15 percent of their capacity. At the time the operating plan was released, Elephant Butte Reservoir stood at approximately 13 percent of capacity.
“Being faced with a third dry year in a row is a big challenge,” Albuquerque Area Office Acting Area Manager John Irizarry said when Reclamation released the annual operating plan. “We have had many years to prepare during this third decade of extended drought, and I am confident our team will work closely with all stakeholders to make the available water supply stretch as far as possible.”
Water managers warned earlier this spring that, if summer monsoon rainfall fails to materialize, Elephant Butte Reservoir could fall to approximately 2 percent of capacity by late August, below levels experienced during previous drought years.
The difficult conditions are already being felt elsewhere along the Rio Grande. Reclamation reported that drying began in the San Acacia reach of the river on March 27, the earliest recorded drying date in the past three decades. The agency is coordinating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to rescue endangered fish from drying sections of the river while working with irrigation districts and other partners to maximize the effectiveness of limited water supplies.
For farmers in the Mesilla Valley and throughout the Rio Grande Project, however, the arrival of irrigation water marks the beginning of another growing season supported by releases from Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs.
Reclamation has also issued safety reminders for residents recreating near the river. The agency warns that river conditions can change rapidly during irrigation releases and that channels that appear dry may fill quickly. Officials caution the public not to attempt to cross the river channel and note that swift currents can be dangerous even for experienced swimmers.
The Rio Grande Project supplies irrigation water to farms in southern New Mexico, far west Texas and Mexico. Available storage in Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs for the project was estimated at approximately 265,000 acre-feet at the start of the 2026 operating season.
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