Painted Rock Dam water level — Arizona
Painted Rock Dam in Arizona was last measured at 535.02 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:00 AM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been steady (−0.0 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 7 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- →Steady
−0.0 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Jun 23, 2026 — a 20-day window — downsampled for display.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USACE SPL/Painted Rock, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Painted Rock Dam
Painted Rock Dam is held back by Painted Rock Dam (also recorded as Painted Rock Reservoir) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 181 ft high and running 4,780 ft along its crest , built across GILA RIVER in Maricopa County , near AGUA CALIENTE . It was completed in 1960 , and is owned by USACE - Los Angeles District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CESPL.
Its recorded primary purpose is flood risk reduction — the pool is drawn down between storms so there is empty space waiting for the next flood, which is why this level can fall in dry weather and climb sharply after rain .
Its spillway is ungated: once the pool reaches the crest, water leaves on its own and the operator cannot hold it back. The spillway opening is 610 ft wide.
NID classes it high hazard potential. That describes what a failure would cost downstream — loss of life would be expected — and says nothing about how likely a failure is, or what condition the dam is in.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 1 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 4,831,500 acre-ft against a normal storage of 0 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 401,700 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record AZ10002 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USACE CWMS Data and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Painted Rock Dam compares nearby
2 of 3 nearby lakes with a current trend are also steady right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tat Momolikat Dam | AZ | 1,494.48 ft | 112 km |
| Alamo Dam | AZ | 1,099.30 ft | 140 km |
| Bartlett Reservoir | AZ | — | 152 km |
| Horseshoe Reservoir | AZ | — | 157 km |
| Whitlow Ranch Dam | AZ | 2,065.11 ft | 163 km |
| Lake Havasu | CA | — | 174 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Painted Rock Dam?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 8:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 535.02 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Painted Rock Dam full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USACE SPL/Painted Rock, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Arizona
See every lake tracked in Arizona, or read the methodology behind these figures.