Earth Changes650 million gallons of water coming to the Rio Grande in Albuquerque. Here’s why. Posted on September 8, 2026 by Administrator Water will soon return to the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, but it will only be a temporary fix for the river’s dry and cracked bed. The Albuquerque Bernalillo Water Authority, in partnership with a number of other agencies and organizations, has released more than 650 million gallons from Abiquiu Reservoir for a temporary re-wetting of the Rio Grande’s Albuquerque stretch. The water is expected to reach town by Thursday.
