According to a publication from March 11, 2025, by the newspaper The Portugal News, the amount of water stored in the Barlavento Algarve watershed increased by more than 70% between the end of February and March 10, following heavy rainfall in mainland Portugal over the past week.
Data from the National Water Resources Information System (SNIRH) shows that the Barlavento Algarve watershed rose from 20.7% at the end of February to 35.6% by March 10.
In the southern region of the country, the Mira River basin increased from 40.4% (end of February) to 45.4% (March 10), while the Arade River basin rose from 41.8% to 50%.
Meanwhile, in the Algarve region, where water usage restrictions remain in place, the Sotavento watershed reached 86.8% as of 10 March.
According to SNIRH, during the first week of March (March 3-10), 69% of the monitored reservoirs had water levels above 80% of total capacity, while 5% had levels below 40%.
During this period, water storage levels exceeded the average across most watersheds, except in the Ave, Mondego, Mira, Arade, and Barlavento basins.
Overall, water levels increased in 13 watersheds and decreased in two. Each watershed may include multiple reservoirs.
