Donner Lake water level — California
Donner Lake in California was last measured at 5,933.71 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 1:00 AM (UTC-07:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.8 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 7,719 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.8 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 10338400, 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 14 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Donner Lake
Donner Lake is held back by Donner Lake , a buttress dam — a thin upstream face braced by a row of supports behind it , standing 16 ft high and running 45 ft along its crest in Nevada County . It was completed in 1927 , and is owned by Truckee Meadows Water Authority (a public utility owner) .
Its recorded primary purpose is water supply — delivering water to its customers comes first, so drawdown here follows demand as much as it follows rainfall . It also serves water supply;irrigation.
NID classes it significant hazard potential: a failure would be expected to damage property and infrastructure rather than cost lives. It is a consequence rating, not a condition rating. 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 960 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 10,300 acre-ft. It is regulated by DWR, Division of Safety of Dams.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA00537 , 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 Donner 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prosser C Reservoir | CA | 5,723.51 ft | 14 km |
| Independence Lake | CA | 6,947.30 ft | 14 km |
| Martis Creek-Pool | CA | 5,781.49 ft | 15 km |
| Boca Reservoir | CA | 5,593.97 ft | 18 km |
| Lake Tahoe | CA | 6,227.55 ft | 21 km |
| Stampede Reservoir | CA | 5,922.31 ft | 22 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Donner Lake?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 1:00 AM (UTC-07:00), the pool elevation was 5,933.71 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Donner 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 10338400, 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.