Big Dry Creek Dam water level — California
Big Dry Creek Dam in California was last measured at 400.00 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 27, 2026, 7:00 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
- 188 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- →Steady
0.0 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 3, 2026 and Aug 27, 2026 — a 85-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 SPK/Big Dry Cr, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Big Dry Creek Dam
Big Dry Creek Dam is held back by Big Dry Creek , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 50 ft high and running 25,300 ft along its crest , built across Big Dry Cr & Dog Cr in Fresno County , near Clovis, Fresno . It was completed in 1948 , and is owned by Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (a public utility owner) .
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 .
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. Its most recent condition assessment was satisfactory — no deficiencies recognised for expected loading. That assessment is dated 09/01/2017.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 2,151 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 30,200 acre-ft. It is regulated by DWR, Division of Safety of Dams.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA01075 , filed by California — 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 Big Dry Creek Dam compares nearby
1 of 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friant Dam | CA | 508.83 ft | 14 km |
| Hensley Lake-Pool | CA | 546.20 ft | 31 km |
| Eastman Lake-Pool | CA | 466.66 ft | 51 km |
| Mariposa-Pool | CA | 367.88 ft | 62 km |
| Owens-Pool | CA | 348.53 ft | 63 km |
| Bear-Pool | CA | 343.97 ft | 73 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Big Dry Creek Dam?
- As of Aug 27, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 400.00 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Big Dry Creek 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 SPK/Big Dry Cr, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in California
See every lake tracked in California, or read the methodology behind these figures.