J. Percy Priest Lake Water Level
Tennessee · Stones River
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Water level history
About J. Percy Priest Lake
J. Percy Priest Lake is a reservoir on the Stones River in Tennessee, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It's a major recreation lake just east of Nashville. Its full summer pool sits at 490 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding J. Percy Priest Lake's water level
J. Percy Priest Lake sits just east of Nashville on the Stones River, a Corps of Engineers reservoir completed in 1967 that doubles as the city's close-in recreation lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, operates it for flood control and recreation, holding it at a summer pool of about 490 feet above sea level for the warm-weather season and keeping storage space above that to catch storms. Like other Corps flood-control lakes in the region, it is drawn down somewhat over winter so there is room to absorb heavy rain.
That means Percy Priest follows a seasonal pattern layered with sudden, weather-driven moves. It is held near 490 feet through the summer, lowered modestly for winter flood storage, and then refilled in spring. Because the Stones River basin can deliver intense Middle Tennessee rain, the lake can rise quickly into its flood pool after a big storm, after which the Corps releases the water downstream and the level eases back. So a higher-than-normal reading after heavy rain is usually a passing flood, and a lower winter level is the planned drawdown.
For Nashville, Percy Priest is an everyday escape. Its shoreline holds six marinas, including Nashville Shores, along with campgrounds and thousands of acres of wildlife-management land, and it draws boaters, anglers and swimmers from across the metro area. The convenience of a big lake minutes from downtown is a large part of why it is so heavily used, and why the current level is worth checking before a summer weekend on the water.
J. Percy Priest Lake — frequently asked
Why does J. Percy Priest Lake's water level change?
Percy Priest is a Corps flood-control lake on the Stones River. It is held near a 490-foot summer pool for recreation, drawn down somewhat in winter to open flood storage, and can rise quickly into its flood pool after heavy Middle Tennessee rain, after which the Corps releases the water downstream.
What is summer pool for J. Percy Priest Lake?
The summer pool is about 490 feet above sea level. The Corps keeps storage space above that elevation for floods and lowers the lake modestly for winter, then refills it toward summer pool in spring.
Is J. Percy Priest Lake low in winter because of drought?
Usually not. A lower winter level is generally the normal seasonal drawdown that opens flood storage. A drought would pull the lake further below its summer pool than the routine winter dip.
Why does J. Percy Priest Lake rise quickly after storms?
The Stones River basin can produce intense rain, and the lake's flood pool is designed to capture it. After a big storm the lake rises into that storage and the Corps then releases the water downstream, so the level eases back within days to weeks.
What is there to do at J. Percy Priest Lake?
Minutes from Nashville, it offers boating, fishing and swimming, with six marinas including Nashville Shores, several campgrounds, and large wildlife-management areas along its shoreline.
What is J. Percy Priest Lake used for?
It provides flood control on the Stones River and is a heavily used recreation lake for the Nashville metro area, with marinas, campgrounds and wildlife lands.
Other lakes near J. Percy Priest Lake
- Lake BarkleyKY/TN
- Boone LakeTN
- Center Hill LakeTN
- Cherokee LakeTN
- Chickamauga LakeTN
- Dale Hollow LakeKY/TN
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