The reservoirs in La Rioja stand at 49.5 per cent of their total capacity as of 24 August 2026, according to the Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro . A week earlier, the figure was still 54.3 per cent. The data are based on the latest readings from the Parte diario de embalses of the Ebro basin authority, which monitors the facilities at Mansilla, Pajares and González Lacasa recorded.
All three reservoirs saw water levels fall over the week. The percentages reported by the authority refer to the usable capacity of each dam. At the current level, the region is in the lower part of its typical seasonal range at the end of the summer withdrawal period. In mid-July, all three reservoirs were still more than 73 per cent full, according to consistent official figures; a gradual decline has set in since then, as documented in the regular weekly reports.
The Mansilla, Pajares and González Lacasa reservoirs are key infrastructure for water management, irrigation and drinking water supplies in parts of La Rioja. In summer, several factors coincide: higher consumption, agricultural irrigation and often below-average rainfall. Together, these regularly lead to falling water levels before autumn rainfall can raise them again. The Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro is responsible for operations, data collection and publication of hydrological information in the catchment area; the regional government reflects the figures in its environmental portal and uses them for planning matters.
For users and suppliers, the decline means that safety reserves are smaller ahead of the driest weeks of late summer. The relevant local authorities decide on specific consequences – such as consumption restrictions or adjustments to irrigation allocations – in light of current conditions. For example, the city of Santo Domingo de la Calzada had already announced precautionary restrictions on the use of drinking water on 19 August. The figures now reported do not in themselves provide a basis for drawing conclusions about region-wide requirements; local conditions in the catchment areas are what matter.
Operators outside La Rioja have also recently reported falling water levels, for example at the Pantano del Ebro in Cantabria. Across Spain, reservoir levels were recently at around two-thirds of total capacity. Such comparisons provide context, but do not replace local assessments of water abstraction, demand and available reserves.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).