New Melones Reservoir water level — California
New Melones Reservoir in California was last measured at 1,009.84 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 (−7.7 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 1,563,437 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−7.7 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/New Melones, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind New Melones Reservoir
New Melones Reservoir is held back by New Melones Dam (also recorded as New Melones Lake) , a rockfill embankment — quarried rock placed in compacted layers around a sealing core , standing 625 ft high and running 1,560 ft along its crest , built across STANISLAUS RIVER in Calaveras County . It was completed in 1979 , and is owned by BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (a federal owner) , to a design credited to US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
Its recorded primary purpose is hydroelectric — releases follow generation schedules, so the level can move on a daily cycle that has nothing to do with drought . It also serves hydroelectric;irrigation;recreation;water supply.
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 0 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 13,450 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 2,870,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 2,720,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 112,600 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA10246 , filed by Bureau of Reclamation — 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 New Melones Reservoir compares nearby
4 of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulloch Reservoir | CA | 508.91 ft | 11 km |
| Don Pedro Reservoir | CA | 794.88 ft | 29 km |
| New Hogan Lake Pool | CA | 671.35 ft | 34 km |
| Farmington Lake-Pool | CA | 124.47 ft | 36 km |
| Sjr Par-Pardee-Mokelumne River | CA | — | 45 km |
| New Exchequer Dam / Lake Mcclure | CA | 796.87 ft | 46 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of New Melones Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 1,009.84 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is New Melones 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 USACE SPK/New Melones, 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.