Satellite images show a sharp refill of Navajo Reservoir in the southwestern United States between September and November. Heavy rain swelled its feeder rivers, while dam releases had also been reduced. Storage reached 108 per cent of the average for the date. The same wet period brought damaging floods to nearby communities.
Navajo Reservoir, spanning northern New Mexico and southern Colorado in the US, rose nearly 18 metres between 20 September and 7 November. NASA’s Landsat 9 satellite captured the change with its Operational Land Imager. On the later date, storage reached 108 per cent of its average for that calendar day, compared with 60 per cent in September. The reservoir stood at its highest level since August 2019.[1]
Across Four Corners, the region where four southwestern US states meet, precipitation reached between twice and four times the usual total from early September to early November. Watercourses including the San Juan and Piedra swelled. The preceding winter, 2025–2026, had brought snow drought, restricting spring replenishment from melting snow. The Bureau of Reclamation had also cut water releases at Navajo Dam on 16 and 17 September.[1]
In Colorado, the town of Pagosa Springs received 12.8 centimetres of rain during the first storm round. A major flood stage was reached on 23 October. The river rose again on 1 November, close to its 1911 record. Officials ordered evacuations, residents needed rescuing and property sustained damage. By 3 November, the US Drought Monitor classified short-term drought as over in the Southwest and Great Basin. Longer-term drought remained in parts of the region.[1]
