Burns-Pool water level — California
Burns-Pool in California was last measured at 265.81 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.1 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 4 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.1 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 SPK/Burns-Pool, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
USACE's continuous storage record for this project begins in 1983 (2 tracked series for this project).
The dam behind Burns-Pool
Burns-Pool is held back by Burns Dam (also recorded as Burns Reservoir) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 65 ft high and running 4,070 ft along its crest , built across BURNS CREEK in Merced County , near PLANADA . It was completed in 1950 , and is owned by USACE - Sacramento District (a federal 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 . It also serves flood risk reduction;hydroelectric.
It has a earth core. 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 40 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 670 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 21,836 acre-ft against a normal storage of 6,934 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 6,600 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA10103 , 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 Burns-Pool compares nearby
5 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also falling right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear-Pool | CA | 343.97 ft | 4 km |
| Mariposa-Pool | CA | 367.88 ft | 15 km |
| Owens-Pool | CA | 348.53 ft | 15 km |
| New Exchequer Dam / Lake Mcclure | CA | 796.87 ft | 23 km |
| Eastman Lake-Pool | CA | 466.66 ft | 29 km |
| Don Pedro Reservoir | CA | 794.88 ft | 38 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Burns-Pool?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 265.81 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Burns-Pool 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/Burns-Pool, 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.