Crawford Reservoir water level — Colorado
Crawford Reservoir in Colorado was last measured at 6,500.72 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 2:00 AM (UTC-06:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−9.8 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 1,996 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−9.8 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 09129550, 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 75 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Crawford Reservoir
Crawford Reservoir is held back by Crawford Dam (also recorded as Crawford Reservoir) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 162 ft high and running 580 ft along its crest , built across IRON CREEK in Delta County , near CRAWFORD . It was completed in 1962 , and is owned by BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (a federal owner) , to a design credited to BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.
Its recorded primary purpose is irrigation — the pool is drawn down across the growing season to serve water rights downstream, then refilled over winter .
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. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate);uncontrolled.
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 406 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 23,970 acre-ft against a normal storage of 14,395 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 1,400 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by DWR.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CO00556 , 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 Crawford Reservoir compares nearby
All 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morrow Point | CO | — | 27 km |
| Fruit Growers Reservoir | CO | 5,463.92 ft | 34 km |
| Crystal Reservoir | CO | — | 35 km |
| Blue Mesa Dam & Reservoir | CO | 7,423.08 ft | 36 km |
| Paonia Reservoir | CO | 6,373.54 ft | 36 km |
| Silver Jack Reservoir | CO | 8,856.69 ft | 51 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Crawford Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 2:00 AM (UTC-06:00), the pool elevation was 6,500.72 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Crawford 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 09129550, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Colorado
See every lake tracked in Colorado, or read the methodology behind these figures.