Palisades Reservoir — storage

Storage now, against this reservoir's own record

158.56 Mm³

Stored, September 2026

10th

Percentile among 70 Seps on record

-76.1%

Against the Sep 1991–2020 average

-28.3%

Change over the 12 months to 2026-09

Storage in September 2026 was lower than most Seps on record, ranked against 70 other Seps held for this reservoir.

Storage, 1956–2026

Monthly mean storage

838 monthly values, 1956 to 2026

Monthly means of the publisher's daily record. Volume, not percentage of capacity — see below for why.

What the shaded periods are (0 events)

Not shown on this chart

The 1976 drought — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.
The 2022 drought — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.
Yorkshire drought — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.
Cantareira water crisis, São Paulo — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.
Cape Town Day Zero — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.
European drought — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.

View the data behind this chart

240 of 838 periods, evenly spaced across the record. Every value is in the download and the API; a table of all 838 would be longer than this page and unusable with a screen reader.
Period	Palisades Reservoir (Mm³)
December 1956	263
April 1957	333
July 1957	913
November 1957	581
February 1958	748
June 1958	1,343
September 1958	633
January 1959	814
April 1959	967
August 1959	1,004
November 1959	668
March 1960	1,028
June 1960	1,225
October 1960	78.4
January 1961	371
May 1961	797
August 1961	494
December 1961	560
March 1962	791
July 1962	1,381
October 1962	975
February 1963	1,192
May 1963	1,473
September 1963	872
December 1963	984
April 1964	1,122
July 1964	1,467
November 1964	1,042
February 1965	1,127
June 1965	1,040
September 1965	1,421
January 1966	1,279
April 1966	1,360
August 1966	755
November 1966	365
March 1967	687
June 1967	1,220
October 1967	1,015
January 1968	1,095
May 1968	1,151
August 1968	1,259
December 1968	1,310
March 1969	1,211
July 1969	1,381
October 1969	803
February 1970	1,113
May 1970	976
September 1970	1,105
December 1970	1,199
April 1971	378
July 1971	1,468
November 1971	1,088
February 1972	1,101
June 1972	1,050
September 1972	1,369
January 1973	1,204
April 1973	1,142
August 1973	890
November 1973	966
March 1974	1,114
June 1974	1,176
October 1974	1,214
January 1975	1,202
May 1975	409
August 1975	1,447
December 1975	1,269
March 1976	940
July 1976	1,328
October 1976	1,395
February 1977	1,293
May 1977	1,151
September 1977	69.6
December 1977	219
April 1978	379
July 1978	1,439
November 1978	1,429
February 1979	1,239
June 1979	1,390
September 1979	903
January 1980	1,004
April 1980	1,105
August 1980	1,122
November 1980	1,030
March 1981	1,438
June 1981	1,482
October 1981	397
January 1982	727
May 1982	247
August 1982	1,470
December 1982	1,466
March 1983	1,335
July 1983	1,481
October 1983	1,456
February 1984	1,195
May 1984	868
September 1984	1,475
December 1984	1,402
April 1985	1,227
July 1985	1,245
November 1985	1,026
February 1986	1,150
June 1986	1,274
September 1986	1,453
January 1987	1,309
April 1987	1,475
August 1987	808
November 1987	503
March 1988	885
June 1988	1,447
October 1988	171
January 1989	432
May 1989	1,065
August 1989	920
December 1989	916
March 1990	1,165
July 1990	1,056
October 1990	11.3
February 1991	346
May 1991	782
September 1991	686
December 1991	711
April 1992	1,087
July 1992	332
November 1992	208
February 1993	350
June 1993	1,484
September 1993	1,178
January 1994	1,319
April 1994	1,481
August 1994	352
November 1994	146
March 1995	449
June 1995	1,145
October 1995	1,244
January 1996	1,449
May 1996	343
August 1996	1,309
December 1996	1,258
March 1997	485
July 1997	1,475
October 1997	1,332
February 1998	1,303
May 1998	1,010
September 1998	1,152
December 1998	1,238
April 1999	472
July 1999	1,435
November 1999	1,135
February 2000	1,271
June 2000	1,434
September 2000	403
January 2001	505
April 2001	770
August 2001	221
November 2001	187
March 2002	434
June 2002	800
October 2002	112
January 2003	335
May 2003	686
August 2003	134
December 2003	202
March 2004	434
July 2004	528
October 2004	141
February 2005	496
May 2005	939
September 2005	510
December 2005	653
April 2006	737
July 2006	1,282
November 2006	787
February 2007	1,011
June 2007	959
September 2007	36.4
January 2008	330
April 2008	597
August 2008	1,107
November 2008	579
March 2009	1,053
June 2009	1,344
October 2009	888
January 2010	1,101
May 2010	1,329
August 2010	996
December 2010	700
March 2011	837
July 2011	1,420
October 2011	1,295
February 2012	1,271
May 2012	1,099
September 2012	275
December 2012	312
April 2013	688
July 2013	475
November 2013	208
February 2014	381
June 2014	1,003
September 2014	695
January 2015	1,084
April 2015	1,297
August 2015	856
November 2015	440
March 2016	896
June 2016	1,259
October 2016	109
January 2017	490
May 2017	365
August 2017	1,425
December 2017	1,427
March 2018	1,292
July 2018	1,411
October 2018	740
February 2019	1,198
May 2019	839
September 2019	999
December 2019	1,255
April 2020	1,112
July 2020	1,394
November 2020	725
February 2021	1,069
June 2021	1,314
September 2021	169
January 2022	338
April 2022	572
August 2022	614
November 2022	151
March 2023	484
June 2023	1,407
October 2023	834
January 2024	1,162
May 2024	1,086
August 2024	996
December 2024	723
March 2025	1,034
July 2025	1,123
October 2025	105
February 2026	573
May 2026	613
September 2026	159

The reservoir's year

Seasonal storage profile

Each calendar month's reference average, against the most recent year

1991–2020 average
Most recent 12 months

Twelve separate averages, one per calendar month. A January average describes Januaries only. Months are plotted 1–12.

View the data behind this chart

Underlying data
Period	1991–2020 average (Mm³)	Most recent 12 months (Mm³)
Jan	810	474
Feb	852	573
Mar	840	699
Apr	795	865
May	823	613
Jun	1,128	627
Jul	1,107	498
Aug	855	234
Sep	664	159
Oct	608	105
Nov	673	205
Dec	762	332

Why this page shows a volume and not a percentage

Percentage full is a division, and the denominator is missing

“Percentage full” is the figure a drought is discussed in, and it is stored volume divided by capacity. Capacity is published on several different bases — gross, usable, live, and the figure at a particular spillway or licence condition — and dividing a stored volume by the wrong one produces a percentage confidently wrong by the ratio between them, at exactly the moment the number matters most.

Hydrionis holds storage measurements for this reservoir and does not hold a compatible authoritative capacity figure for it, so percentage full is not calculated. The volume above is what was actually measured. Where you need a percentage, take the publisher’s own capacity on its own stated basis and divide it yourself — the source is linked below, and knowing which basis you used is the whole point.

Water level

Monthly mean water surface elevation

838 monthly values

An elevation above a datum, not a depth of water and not a distance below the crest. Levels at different reservoirs are measured against different datums and must not be read against one another; this line is comparable only with its own history. Elevation and volume are not proportional either — a metre near the bottom of a reservoir holds far less water than a metre near the top, because the surface area grows with height.

What the shaded periods are (0 events)

Not shown on this chart

The 1976 drought — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.
The 2022 drought — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.
Yorkshire drought — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.
Cantareira water crisis, São Paulo — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.
Cape Town Day Zero — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.
European drought — This event’s area does not contain this chart’s subject. Sharing a country is not sharing an event, so it is not drawn.

View the data behind this chart

240 of 838 periods, evenly spaced across the record. Every value is in the download and the API; a table of all 838 would be longer than this page and unusable with a screen reader.
Period	Palisades Reservoir (m)
1956.9166666666667	1,686
1957.25	1,688
1957.5	1,703
1957.8333333333333	1,695
1958.0833333333333	1,699
1958.4166666666667	1,711
1958.6666666666667	1,697
1959	1,701
1959.25	1,704
1959.5833333333333	1,705
1959.8333333333333	1,698
1960.1666666666667	1,705
1960.4166666666667	1,709
1960.75	1,679
1961	1,690
1961.3333333333333	1,701
1961.5833333333333	1,693
1961.9166666666667	1,695
1962.1666666666667	1,700
1962.5	1,711
1962.75	1,704
1963.0833333333333	1,708
1963.3333333333333	1,713
1963.6666666666667	1,702
1963.9166666666667	1,705
1964.25	1,707
1964.5	1,713
1964.8333333333333	1,706
1965.0833333333333	1,707
1965.4166666666667	1,705
1965.6666666666667	1,712
1966	1,710
1966.25	1,711
1966.5833333333333	1,699
1966.8333333333333	1,689
1967.1666666666667	1,698
1967.4166666666667	1,709
1967.75	1,705
1968	1,707
1968.3333333333333	1,708
1968.5833333333333	1,709
1968.9166666666667	1,710
1969.1666666666667	1,709
1969.5	1,711
1969.75	1,701
1970.0833333333333	1,707
1970.3333333333333	1,704
1970.6666666666667	1,707
1970.9166666666667	1,708
1971.25	1,690
1971.5	1,713
1971.8333333333333	1,707
1972.0833333333333	1,707
1972.4166666666667	1,706
1972.6666666666667	1,711
1973	1,709
1973.25	1,707
1973.5833333333333	1,703
1973.8333333333333	1,704
1974.1666666666667	1,707
1974.4166666666667	1,708
1974.75	1,709
1975	1,708
1975.3333333333333	1,691
1975.5833333333333	1,712
1975.9166666666667	1,710
1976.1666666666667	1,704
1976.5	1,711
1976.75	1,712
1977.0833333333333	1,710
1977.3333333333333	1,708
1977.6666666666667	1,679
1977.9166666666667	1,685
1978.25	1,690
1978.5	1,712
1978.8333333333333	1,712
1979.0833333333333	1,709
1979.4166666666667	1,712
1979.6666666666667	1,703
1980	1,705
1980.25	1,707
1980.5833333333333	1,707
1980.8333333333333	1,705
1981.1666666666667	1,712
1981.4166666666667	1,713
1981.75	1,690
1982	1,699
1982.3333333333333	1,686
1982.5833333333333	1,713
1982.9166666666667	1,713
1983.1666666666667	1,711
1983.5	1,713
1983.75	1,713
1984.0833333333333	1,708
1984.3333333333333	1,702
1984.6666666666667	1,713
1984.9166666666667	1,712
1985.25	1,709
1985.5	1,709
1985.8333333333333	1,705
1986.0833333333333	1,708
1986.4166666666667	1,709
1986.6666666666667	1,713
1987	1,710
1987.25	1,713
1987.5833333333333	1,701
1987.8333333333333	1,693
1988.1666666666667	1,703
1988.4166666666667	1,712
1988.75	1,683
1989	1,691
1989.3333333333333	1,706
1989.5833333333333	1,703
1989.9166666666667	1,703
1990.1666666666667	1,708
1990.5	1,706
1990.75	1,676
1991.0833333333333	1,689
1991.3333333333333	1,700
1991.6666666666667	1,698
1991.9166666666667	1,699
1992.25	1,706
1992.5	1,688
1992.8333333333333	1,684
1993.0833333333333	1,689
1993.4166666666667	1,713
1993.6666666666667	1,708
1994	1,710
1994.25	1,713
1994.5833333333333	1,689
1994.8333333333333	1,682
1995.1666666666667	1,692
1995.4166666666667	1,707
1995.75	1,709
1996	1,713
1996.3333333333333	1,689
1996.5833333333333	1,710
1996.9166666666667	1,709
1997.1666666666667	1,693
1997.5	1,713
1997.75	1,711
1998.0833333333333	1,710
1998.3333333333333	1,705
1998.6666666666667	1,708
1998.9166666666667	1,709
1999.25	1,693
1999.5	1,712
1999.8333333333333	1,707
2000.0833333333333	1,710
2000.4166666666667	1,712
2000.6666666666667	1,691
2001	1,693
2001.25	1,700
2001.5833333333333	1,685
2001.8333333333333	1,684
2002.1666666666667	1,691
2002.4166666666667	1,701
2002.75	1,681
2003	1,689
2003.3333333333333	1,698
2003.5833333333333	1,682
2003.9166666666667	1,684
2004.1666666666667	1,691
2004.5	1,694
2004.75	1,682
2005.0833333333333	1,693
2005.3333333333333	1,704
2005.6666666666667	1,694
2005.9166666666667	1,697
2006.25	1,699
2006.5	1,710
2006.8333333333333	1,700
2007.0833333333333	1,705
2007.4166666666667	1,704
2007.6666666666667	1,678
2008	1,688
2008.25	1,696
2008.5833333333333	1,707
2008.8333333333333	1,695
2009.1666666666667	1,706
2009.4166666666667	1,711
2009.75	1,703
2010	1,707
2010.3333333333333	1,711
2010.5833333333333	1,705
2010.9166666666667	1,698
2011.1666666666667	1,701
2011.5	1,712
2011.75	1,710
2012.0833333333333	1,710
2012.3333333333333	1,707
2012.6666666666667	1,687
2012.9166666666667	1,688
2013.25	1,698
2013.5	1,693
2013.8333333333333	1,684
2014.0833333333333	1,690
2014.4166666666667	1,705
2014.6666666666667	1,698
2015	1,706
2015.25	1,710
2015.5833333333333	1,702
2015.8333333333333	1,692
2016.1666666666667	1,703
2016.4166666666667	1,709
2016.75	1,681
2017	1,693
2017.3333333333333	1,689
2017.5833333333333	1,712
2017.9166666666667	1,712
2018.1666666666667	1,710
2018.5	1,712
2018.75	1,699
2019.0833333333333	1,708
2019.3333333333333	1,701
2019.6666666666667	1,705
2019.9166666666667	1,709
2020.25	1,707
2020.5	1,712
2020.8333333333333	1,699
2021.0833333333333	1,706
2021.4166666666667	1,710
2021.6666666666667	1,683
2022	1,689
2022.25	1,695
2022.5833333333333	1,696
2022.8333333333333	1,682
2023.1666666666667	1,693
2023.4166666666667	1,712
2023.75	1,701
2024	1,708
2024.3333333333333	1,706
2024.5833333333333	1,705
2024.9166666666667	1,699
2025.1666666666667	1,705
2025.5	1,707
2025.75	1,680
2026.0833333333333	1,695
2026.3333333333333	1,696
2026.6666666666667	1,683

Rate and persistence

-5.21 Mm³

Mean drawdown per month over 12 months

6 of 24

Recent months below the 20th percentile for their own month

Rates are computed only across an unbroken run of months, so a rate is never divided by a period in which some of the change was not observed. Percentile counts compare each month with the same calendar month in every other year held.

Location

Palisades Reservoir

Gauge location

About this data

Everything below is a property of the data rather than a rating of it. There is deliberately no single confidence score: how much a gap matters depends on what you are about to do with the series, and only you know that.

Source	United States Bureau of Reclamation — Reservoir operations and Colorado River data · US Government work — public domain
How the values came to exist	Measured
Period held	1956–2026
Completeness	98.4% of the periods in that span are held. Gaps are drawn as breaks and never interpolated.
Known gaps	Storage is a managed quantity. A falling line can be a rule curve, a scheduled release or a transfer to another system rather than a shortage of water, and nothing here distinguishes them. No capacity figure on a stated basis is held for this reservoir, so no percentage of capacity is computed.
Continuity	98% of the months between 1956 and 2026 are held. Monthly means of the publisher's own daily record.
Last read from the publisher	2026-10-01
Redistribution	Permitted by the upstream licences
Commercial reuse	Permitted by the upstream licences. No Hydrionis access tier can widen this.
Methodology	How this was produced

Use this data

Machine-readable JSON /api/v1/observations/by-subject/reservoir-usbr-7193.json
How to cite this, and who you must credit
How these figures were produced
Request this at a different scale, format or geography

No bulk download is offered here, which is a licence position rather than a product one: at least one contributing publisher does not permit redistribution. The values can be read on the page, cited, and pointed to at source.

Attribution and citation

Suggested citation for Hydrionis

Hydrionis (2026), Palisades Reservoir reservoir records, accessed 2026-10-05, hydrionis.com/reservoirs/reservoir-usbr-7193/

Cite Hydrionis where you rely on the compilation, the normalisation, the eligibility judgements or a chart. Where you use an unmodified published value, the publisher’s attribution is the one that is required; crediting Hydrionis as well is welcome and is not something Hydrionis can require of you.

Recommended, not required. Hydrionis does not claim rights over unmodified public data it relayed, and doing arithmetic on somebody else’s measurements does not make them Hydrionis’s. Cite the version and the access date: the Palisades Reservoir record changes as publishers release and as methods are revised, and a citation without both cannot be checked later. Full guidance is on cite and reuse.

None of the contributing licences requires attribution. Crediting the publishers is still good practice and they are listed above.

Where this comes from

838 monthly observations 1956–2026 Mm³

Spatially aggregatedHigh confidenceSeptember 2026

Source: USBR — Reservoir operations and Colorado River data, RISE catalogue item 132284. Licence: Open.

Method: Monthly mean of the daily values published by the Bureau of Reclamation in acre-feet, converted to Mm³. Months with fewer than 20 days of record are not published rather than averaged from a partial month.

Stored as a volume and not as a share of capacity: the operator publishes what is in the reservoir but not what it holds when full, so a percentage cannot be computed without inventing the denominator.

Retrieved 1 October 2026.

Monthly mean of the daily values published by the Bureau of Reclamation in acre-feet, converted to Mm³. Months with fewer than 20 days of record are not published rather than averaged from a partial month.