The Panama Canal Authority has begun releasing excess water after Gatún Lake rose above its normal operating level following several days of heavy rain — a dramatic reversal for one of the world’s most vital shipping routes.

The controlled release is designed to protect canal infrastructure and nearby communities, as runoff from surrounding rivers continues to push water levels higher. Gatún Lake serves as the canal’s primary freshwater reservoir, feeding the lock system that raises and lowers ships between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The development stands in stark contrast to the prolonged drought that hampered operations through much of 2023 and 2024.

During that period, scarce rainfall — intensified by the El Niño weather pattern — drained water levels and forced officials to sharply reduce the number of daily vessel transits. Traffic fell from a typical average of around 39 ships per day to as few as 20 at the height of restrictions.

These cutbacks led to bottlenecks at both ends of the canal, disrupting global trade flows. In some cases, shipping companies paid auction fees of up to $1 million to jump the queues.

By 2025, conditions had improved, allowing the canal to increase capacity to an average of 33 transits per day, up from 27 the previous year.

The swift shift from extreme water scarcity to surplus in just two years highlights the mounting impact of climate variability on global supply chains — and the difference a couple of years can make in ocean freight.