Stampede Reservoir water level — California
Stampede Reservoir in California was last measured at 5,922.31 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 (−1.3 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 146,000 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−1.3 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 10344300 · USACE SPK/Stampede, 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 136 sq mi of contributing watershed. USACE's continuous storage record for this project begins in 2006 (2 tracked series for this project).
The dam behind Stampede Reservoir
Stampede Reservoir is held back by Stampede Dam (also recorded as Stampede Reservoir) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 239 ft high and running 2,145 ft along its crest , built across LITTLE TRUCKEE RIVER in Sierra County . It was completed in 1970 , and is owned by BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (a federal owner) .
Its recorded primary purpose is irrigation — the pool is drawn down across the growing season to serve water rights downstream, then refilled over winter . It also serves 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 15 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 3,885 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 339,100 acre-ft against a normal storage of 226,500 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 3,060 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CA10192 , filed by Bureau of Reclamation — 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 Stampede Reservoir 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boca Reservoir | CA | 5,593.97 ft | 9 km |
| Prosser C Reservoir | CA | 5,723.51 ft | 11 km |
| Martis Creek-Pool | CA | 5,781.49 ft | 16 km |
| Independence Lake | CA | 6,947.30 ft | 16 km |
| Donner Lake | CA | 5,933.71 ft | 22 km |
| Lake Tahoe | CA | 6,227.55 ft | 32 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Stampede Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 1:00 AM (UTC-07:00), the pool elevation was 5,922.31 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Stampede 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 10344300 · USACE SPK/Stampede, 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.