Black Butte Lake Water Level
California · Stony Creek
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Water level history
About Black Butte Lake
Black Butte Lake is a reservoir on the Stony Creek in California, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Its full summer pool sits at 473.5 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Black Butte Lake's water level
"Full pool" is the elevation U.S. Army Corps of Engineers targets when Black Butte Lake is completely filled — 473.5 feet above sea level. That is the elevation Black Butte Lake reaches at the top of a good runoff year, not a level it is held at. Reservoirs like this one fill from winter storms and snowmelt and are then drawn down deliberately through the dry season, so the gap between today's reading and 473.5 ft is normally the season rather than a shortage. Judge it against the same week last year, not against full.
Black Butte Lake climbs through winter and spring as storms and snowmelt come off the mountains, peaks around late spring, and falls steadily through summer and autumn as water goes downstream and flood space is reopened for the next winter. A wet winter can raise it dramatically; the low point almost always lands in autumn regardless.
The recent high and low above are drawn from the published history available for Black Butte Lake, so they show how today compares over that record rather than an all-time extreme. The 12-month and 5-year chart views make the trend and the lake's usual seasonal shape easy to see.
Black Butte Lake — frequently asked
What is the current water level of Black Butte Lake?
The gauge at the top of this page shows Black Butte Lake's current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS).
What is full pool for Black Butte Lake?
Black Butte Lake's full summer pool is 473.5 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.
Who manages Black Butte Lake?
Black Butte Lake is operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Stony Creek.
Where is Black Butte Lake located?
Black Butte Lake is in California, on the Stony Creek.
Why is Black Butte Lake low right now?
Reservoir levels fall during dry spells and seasonal drawdown — when U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lowers the pool for flood storage, power, or water supply — and recover after rain and snowmelt. The history chart above shows the recent trend.
What are the record high and low levels for Black Butte Lake?
The recent record high and low elevations are shown in the stats on this page, computed from the available published history for Black Butte Lake.
Other lakes near Black Butte Lake
- Boca ReservoirCA
- Lake BerryessaCA
- Camanche ReservoirCA
- Tulloch ReservoirCA
- Don Pedro ReservoirCA
- Trinity LakeCA
See current levels for all 29 California lakes and reservoirs →
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