Blue Mesa Reservoir Water Level
Colorado · Gunnison River
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Water level history
About Blue Mesa Reservoir
Blue Mesa Reservoir is a reservoir on the Gunnison River in Colorado, operated by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. It's the largest body of water in Colorado. Its full summer pool sits at 7519.4 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Blue Mesa Reservoir's water level
"Full pool" is the elevation U.S. Bureau of Reclamation targets when Blue Mesa Reservoir is completely filled — 7519.4 feet above sea level. That is the elevation Blue Mesa Reservoir 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 7519.4 ft is normally the season rather than a shortage. Judge it against the same week last year, not against full.
Blue Mesa Reservoir fills on mountain snowmelt through spring and early summer, then declines through the irrigation season and into autumn. How high it gets is set by the winter snowpack rather than by summer rain, so a thin snow year shows up in the level all the way through to the following spring.
The recent high and low above are drawn from the published history available for Blue Mesa Reservoir, 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.
Blue Mesa Reservoir — frequently asked
What is the current water level of Blue Mesa Reservoir?
The gauge at the top of this page shows Blue Mesa Reservoir's current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS).
What is full pool for Blue Mesa Reservoir?
Blue Mesa Reservoir's full summer pool is 7519.4 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.
Who manages Blue Mesa Reservoir?
Blue Mesa Reservoir is operated by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on the Gunnison River.
Where is Blue Mesa Reservoir located?
Blue Mesa Reservoir is in Colorado, on the Gunnison River.
Why is Blue Mesa Reservoir low right now?
Reservoir levels fall during dry spells and seasonal drawdown — when U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 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 Blue Mesa Reservoir?
The recent record high and low elevations are shown in the stats on this page, computed from the available published history for Blue Mesa Reservoir.
Other lakes near Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Chatfield ReservoirCO
- Vallecito ReservoirCO
- Cherry Creek ReservoirCO
- Ridgway ReservoirCO
- Lemon ReservoirCO
- Paonia ReservoirCO
See current levels for all 7 Colorado lakes and reservoirs →
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