Lemon Reservoir water level — Colorado
Lemon Reservoir in Colorado was last measured at 8,090.48 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 1:15 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
- 12,890 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 09362800 · USACE SPK/Lemon, 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 68 sq mi of contributing watershed. USACE's continuous elevation record for this project begins in 2013 (2 tracked series for this project).
The dam behind Lemon Reservoir
Lemon Reservoir is held back by Lemon Dam (also recorded as Lemon Reservoir) , a rockfill embankment — quarried rock placed in compacted layers around a sealing core , standing 284 ft high and running 1,360 ft along its crest , built across FLORIDA RIVER in La Plata County , near BONDAD . It was completed in 1963 , and is owned by BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (a federal owner) , to a design credited to BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.
Its recorded primary purpose is fish and wildlife pond — it is managed for habitat rather than yield . It also serves fish and wildlife pond;irrigation;recreation;hydroelectric.
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 57 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 686 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 487,660 acre-ft against a normal storage of 40,146 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 9,600 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by DWR.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CO01688 , 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 Lemon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallecito Dam & Reservoir | CO | 7,620.66 ft | 7 km |
| Rio Grande Reservoir | CO | — | 51 km |
| Navajo Reservoir | NM | 6,013.41 ft | 65 km |
| Continental Reservoir | CO | — | 69 km |
| Silver Jack Reservoir | CO | 8,856.69 ft | 95 km |
| Ridgway Reservoir | CO | 6,853.39 ft | 95 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lemon Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 1:15 AM (UTC-06:00), the pool elevation was 8,090.48 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lemon 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 09362800 · USACE SPK/Lemon, 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.