Rio Grande Reservoir water level — Colorado
Rio Grande Reservoir in Colorado was last measured at 27,178 acre-ft of storage (no elevation gauge reported), as of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data).
- Pool elevation
- Not reported
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 27,178 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- Not enough data
This station reports storage but no elevation gauge — its managing agency does not publish a pool-elevation reading here.
Recent trend
Not enough recent readings to show a trend.
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 SPA/Rio Grande Res, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Rio Grande Reservoir
Rio Grande Reservoir is held back by Rio Grande (also recorded as Farmers Union) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 117 ft high and running 980 ft along its crest , built across RIO GRANDE RIVER in Hinsdale County , near SOUTH FORK . It was completed in 1914 , and is owned by SAN LUIS VALLEY IRRIGATION DISTRICT (ROBERT PHILLI (a local government 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;fish and wildlife pond;recreation.
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 32 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)6.
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 satisfactory — no deficiencies recognised for expected loading. That assessment is dated 08/30/2022.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 1,080 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 73,800 acre-ft against a normal storage of 54,082 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 15,140 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by DWR.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record CO00805 , filed by Colorado — 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 →)
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continental Reservoir | CO | — | 19 km |
| Vallecito Dam & Reservoir | CO | 7,620.66 ft | 47 km |
| Lemon Reservoir | CO | 8,090.48 ft | 51 km |
| Silver Jack Reservoir | CO | 8,856.69 ft | 62 km |
| Ridgway Reservoir | CO | 6,853.39 ft | 72 km |
| Platoro Reservoir | CO | 9,987.05 ft | 76 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Rio Grande Reservoir?
- This lake reports storage (27,178 acre-ft as of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00)) but no elevation gauge — its managing agency does not publish a pool-elevation reading here.
- Is Rio Grande 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 SPA/Rio Grande Res, 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.