TWO years after historic lows, Malaga’s La Viñuela reservoir has recovered to over 80% of its total capacity.
Weeks of sustained rainfall have lifted Malaga’s largest reservoir from 22% capacity a year ago to 82% today, nearly quadrupling its water levels.
Today, it sits two-and-a-half times above the 10-year February average of 28%.
Currently, the reservoir holds 134 cubic hectometers and continues to rise, approaching its third-highest recorded level of 135 cubic hectometers from July 2005.
Storms Leonardo and Marta are credited with replenishing the province’s reservoirs.
The Atlantic storms ripped through Andalucia with Leonardo dumping a staggering 500mm of rain in 24 hours in some areas.
The surge follows a historic low in January 2024, when the reservoir fell to just 7% of its capacity during a severe 5-year drought
Siguen las olas en el Embalse de la Viñuela en Málaga. Se acerca al 81%. Mañana pondré el reportaje de un antes y un después. En Enero de 2024 estaba al 7,4 %. @Storm_Malaga @101tvMalaga @CanalMalagaRTV @DiarioSUR @ilillom pic.twitter.com/QP5Huq1nSk
— Jose Luis Escudero Gallegos (@tormentayrayos) February 15, 2026
It held only about 12 cubic hectometres of water and was labelled a ‘dead reservoir’ since there was no feasible way to use the water.
While levels hovered around 9% in late 2022 and early 2023, the January 2024 figure marked the reservoir’s lowest recorded point.
The drought triggered water restrictions in Malaga, including a daily cap of 160 litres of drinking water per person, and caused severe damage to crops, impacting the livelihoods of local farmers.
For now, Malaga is bidding farewell to the rains, but it does so with its reservoirs holding over 90% of their capacity – a level not seen since the autumn of 2013.
According to official data from the Hidrosur network, the province’s seven reservoirs now contain nearly 550 cubic hectometers of water.
This is more than triple last year’s total and five times the amount from two years ago, when the drought had pushed levels below the critical 100 cubic hectometer mark.
In practical terms, the 550 cubic hectometers of water in the reservoirs could supply the province for roughly three and a half years.
Alongside La Viñuela, several reservoirs in the province are almost at capacity.
The Guadalteba and Gualdahorce, for instance, are at 98% capacity whilst their neighbour the Conde del Guadalhorce is completely full.
After years of scarcity, Malaga’s reservoirs are full to the brim.
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