Savage River Reservoir water level — Maryland
Savage River Reservoir in Maryland was last measured at 1,451.25 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 31, 2026, 4:00 AM (UTC-04:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−1.4 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 13,560 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−1.4 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 01597490 · USACE NAB/Savage, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
USACE's continuous elevation record for this project begins in 1984 (2 tracked series for this project).
The dam behind Savage River Reservoir
Savage River Reservoir is held back by Savage River Dam (also recorded as Savage Reservoir;Savage River Reservoir) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 184 ft high and running 1,050 ft along its crest , built across Savage River in Garrett County , near Luke . It was completed in 1952 and modified in 2010S , and is owned by Upper Potomac River Commission (a state owner) , to a design credited to Hazen and Sawyer (2010);US Army Corps of Engineers (orig design).
Its recorded primary purpose is flood risk reduction — the pool is drawn down between storms so there is empty space waiting for the next flood, which is why this level can fall in dry weather and climb sharply after rain . It also serves flood risk reduction;recreation;water supply.
It is founded on rock, with a earth core. 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 320 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate).
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 10/09/2024.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 360 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 31,800 acre-ft against a normal storage of 20,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 97,200 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by MD Dam Safety.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record MD00014 , filed by Maryland — 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 Savage River Reservoir compares nearby
3 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also falling right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennings Randolph Lake | MD | 1,452.62 ft | 9 km |
| Deep Creek Lake | MD | 2,461.80 ft | 14 km |
| Youghiogheny River Lake | PA | 1,440.42 ft | 38 km |
| Cheat Lake | WV | 869.59 ft | 66 km |
| Tygart Lake | WV | 1,094.39 ft | 80 km |
| Conemaugh Lake | PA | 911.01 ft | 109 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Savage River Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 4:00 AM (UTC-04:00), the pool elevation was 1,451.25 ft (datum NAVD88), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Savage River 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 01597490 · USACE NAB/Savage, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Maryland
See every lake tracked in Maryland, or read the methodology behind these figures.