Lake Buchanan Water Level
Texas · Colorado River
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Water level history
About Lake Buchanan
Lake Buchanan is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Texas, operated by Lower Colorado River Authority. It's one of the largest lakes in Texas by surface area. Its full summer pool sits at 1020 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from USGS gauge 08148000 and update every 15 to 60 minutes.
Understanding Lake Buchanan's water level
"Full pool" is the elevation Lower Colorado River Authority targets when Lake Buchanan is completely filled — 1020 feet above sea level. Above that line the Corps deliberately keeps empty "flood storage" to absorb heavy rain, so the lake rarely sits far above 1020 ft for long. A reading a few feet under full is usually just the normal operating band rather than a sign of drought.
Lake Buchanan is held near its conservation pool, with extra room above kept open for floods. In practice the larger swings come from Texas weather — levels slide through hot, dry summers and rebound when spring storms or tropical systems deliver heavy rain.
The all-time high and low above come from the full USGS period of record for this gauge — often decades of data — so they're a good yardstick for how unusual today's level really is. Use the chart's "Compare 5 years" view to see whether the current reading is running ahead of or behind a typical year.
Lake Buchanan — frequently asked
What is the current water level of Lake Buchanan?
The gauge at the top of this page shows Lake Buchanan's current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from USGS gauge 08148000.
What is full pool for Lake Buchanan?
Lake Buchanan's full summer pool is 1020 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.
Who manages Lake Buchanan?
Lake Buchanan is operated by Lower Colorado River Authority on the Colorado River.
Where is Lake Buchanan located?
Lake Buchanan is in Texas, on the Colorado River.
Why is Lake Buchanan low right now?
Reservoir levels fall during dry spells and seasonal drawdown — when Lower Colorado River Authority 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 Lake Buchanan?
The all-time high and low elevations, with the years they occurred, are shown in the stats on this page and come from the full USGS period of record.
Other lakes near Lake Buchanan
- Amistad ReservoirTX
- Belton LakeTX
- Benbrook LakeTX
- Canyon LakeTX
- Lake ConroeTX
- Cooper Lake (Jim Chapman Lake)TX
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