Cherry Lake water level — California
Cherry Lake in California was last measured at 4,683.53 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 12:15 AM (UTC-07:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−6.2 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 240,100 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−6.2 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026 — a 89-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: USGS site 11277200 · USACE SPK/Cherry Valley, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
This site's drainage basin covers approximately 117 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Cherry Lake
Cherry Lake is held back by Cherry Valley , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 315 ft high and running 2,630 ft along its crest , built across Cherry Creek in Tuolumne County , near Waterford . It was completed in 1956 , and is owned by San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (a local government owner) .
Its recorded primary purpose is other . It also serves other;irrigation;hydroelectric;water supply.
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 fair: sound under normal loading, though a rare or extreme event could expose a deficiency. That assessment is dated 03/15/2022.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 1,535 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 273,500 acre-ft. It is regulated by DWR, Division of Safety of Dams.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA00125 , filed by California — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USGS Water Services and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Cherry Lake compares nearby
All 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also falling, suggesting a regional pattern rather than an operation specific to this dam.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Eleanor | CA | 4,654.41 ft | 3 km |
| Hetch Hetchy Reservoir a Hetch Hetchy | CA | 3,780.90 ft | 12 km |
| Beardsley Lake | CA | 3,347.38 ft | 29 km |
| Donnell Lake | CA | 4,865.12 ft | 40 km |
| New Melones Reservoir | CA | 1,009.84 ft | 54 km |
| New Exchequer Dam / Lake Mcclure | CA | 796.87 ft | 54 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Cherry Lake?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 12:15 AM (UTC-07:00), the pool elevation was 4,683.53 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Cherry Lake 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 USGS site 11277200 · USACE SPK/Cherry Valley, 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.