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Barbara Baca Announces Release of 615 Million Gallons of Water to the Rio Grande in Albuquerque

The Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Authority released 615 million gallons of water from the Abiquiu Reservoir on Monday to address the ongoing drought in the Rio Grande. Barbara Baca, the Water Authority Board Chair, stated that the one-time release is intended to gather data on water flow, the relationship between the river and groundwater, and the effects of water on vegetation and wildlife. The water is expected to reach the city by Thursday. This release occurs during a period of historic dryness. The Rio Grande has experienced record-low snowpack and above-average temperatures, leaving much of the river dry. For example, 82 to 112.4 miles of the river between the Cochiti and Elephant Butte Reservoir remained dry. Additionally, the Elephant Butte Reservoir reached a low of 1.4 percent of its capacity in July 2026. Water managers noted that the lack of high flows has prevented the river from naturally scouring and cleaning the channel, necessitating human mechanical intervention to manage sediment buildup. Scientists and state officials are working together to study the effects of this water release on the region's ecosystem.

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