El Capitan Reservoir water level — California
El Capitan Reservoir in California was last measured at 638.84 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 12:45 AM (UTC-07:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.4 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 9,324 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.4 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 11020600, 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 188 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind El Capitan Reservoir
El Capitan Reservoir is held back by El Capitan , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 237 ft high and running 1,170 ft along its crest , built across San Diego River in San Diego County , near Lakeside . It was completed in 1934 , and is owned by City of San Diego (a local government 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 .
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 poor — a deficiency was recognised that needs attention. That assessment is dated 05/25/2020.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 1,562 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 112,800 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 158,200 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by DWR, Division of Safety of Dams.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA00111 , 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 El Capitan Reservoir compares nearby
All 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Vicente Reservoir | CA | 662.06 ft | 12 km |
| Vail Lake | CA | 1,418.14 ft | 70 km |
| Salton Sea | CA | -244.15 ft | 97 km |
| Prado Dam | CA | 471.65 ft | 136 km |
| Villa Park Dam | CA | — | 137 km |
| Seven Oaks Dam | CA | 2,220.00 ft | 140 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of El Capitan Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 12:45 AM (UTC-07:00), the pool elevation was 638.84 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is El Capitan Reservoir 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 11020600, 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.