Barkley Dam water level — Kentucky
Barkley Dam in Kentucky was last measured at 356.58 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:00 AM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.5 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.5 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 LRN/Barkley Dam, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Barkley Dam
Barkley Dam is held back by Barkley Lock and Dam (also recorded as Lake Barkley) , a concrete gravity structure, resisting the reservoir by its own weight alone , standing 157 ft high and running 10,180 ft along its crest , built across CUMBERLAND in Lyon County , near SMITHLAND . It was completed in 1966 , and is owned by USACE - Nashville District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CELRN.
Its recorded primary purpose is navigation — the pool is held inside a narrow band to keep a navigable depth, so large swings are rare by design . It also serves navigation;other;fish and wildlife pond;recreation;hydroelectric;water supply;flood risk reduction.
It is founded on soil, with a earth core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 660 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 57,920 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 2,082,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 869,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 520,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record KY03001 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — 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 →)
Other gauges at this site
A second gauge reports at this same structure. Its readings are listed here rather than on a separate page, because it measures the same water.
| Gauge | Source | Elevation | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barkley Lock and Dam | USACE LRN/BAHK2-BARKLEY | — | 747,265 acre-ft |
How Barkley Dam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barkley Lock and Dam | KY | — | 0 km |
| Kentucky Dam | KY | — | 4 km |
| Cairo | IL | 287.96 ft | 83 km |
| Marion | IL | 416.58 ft | 99 km |
| Cheatham Dam and Lake | TN | 385.85 ft | 119 km |
| Plumfield | IL | 355.97 ft | 120 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Barkley Dam?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 8:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 356.58 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Barkley Dam 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 LRN/Barkley Dam, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Kentucky
See every lake tracked in Kentucky, or read the methodology behind these figures.