Segura water reserves fall below half capacity as autumn begins

The basin holds 557 hm³ of water, but is in a much better position than a year ago, with heavy rain forecast this weekend

Water levels in the Segura basin have fallen below half their total capacity for the first time in 2026, as the new hydrological year gets underway. The reservoirs now hold 557 hm³ of water, equivalent to 48.9% of their combined capacity of 1,140 hm³.

The latest figures, published by Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition on Wednesday October 14, show that the basin lost another 9 hm³ over the past week, a decline of 0.79%.

Despite the recent drop, there's some encouraging news when compared with the same period last year. Twelve months ago, the Segura reservoirs were holding just 17% of their capacity, leaving the basin in a much more difficult position heading into autumn.

Fuensanta reservoir holds the strongest position

Water levels vary considerably between individual reservoirs across the Segura basin, with Fuensanta currently in the best position. The reservoir holds 149 hm³ of water out of a possible 210 hm³, putting it at around 71% capacity. That makes it one of the more reassuring figures in the latest regional water report. Cenajo, the largest reservoir in the basin, has a storage capacity of 437 hm³ and currently holds 251 hm³.

Further south, La Pedrera reservoir, which can store up to 246 hm³, contains 88 hm³ of water.
It’s a bit of a mixed picture for the Region as autumn gets underway. Although the overall level has slipped below 50%, the basin is still in a far healthier state than it was at this point last year.

Tajo reservoirs remain above 50% for the transfer

The reservoirs at the headwaters of the Tagus, Entrepeñas and Buendía, which supply water for the Tajo-Segura transfer, have also recorded a small weekly decline. Together, they lost 1.66 hm³, although both remain above half their individual capacities.

Entrepeñas now holds 485.91 hm³ out of a maximum 813 hm³, following a weekly reduction of 1.19 hm³. Buendía lost a further 0.47 hm³ and currently contains 796.03 hm³, compared with its full capacity of 1,705 hm³.

These reservoirs are particularly important for the Segura basin because of their role in the water transfer system, which brings supplies from the Tagus basin to parts of southeastern Spain.

Spain's reservoirs hold almost 58% of capacity

Across Spain as a whole, water reserves are in a stronger position, with reservoirs holding 57.8% of their total capacity. The national reserve currently stands at 32,409 hm³, following a weekly reduction of 282 hm³, equivalent to around 0.5% of the country's total reservoir capacity.

For the Segura basin, the comparison with last autumn remains positive, even as water levels edge down. There could also be some welcome rain on the way, with heavy showers and thunderstorms forecast in parts of the Mediterranean coast this weekend. How much this helps replenish reservoir supplies will depend on where the heaviest rain falls and how much water reaches the dams, but it will be worth watching the figures in the weeks ahead.

Images: Archive