Ross Barnett Reservoir water level — Mississippi
Ross Barnett Reservoir in Mississippi was last measured at 297.16 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been rising (+0.6 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↑Rising
+0.6 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 MVK/Ross Barnett, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Ross Barnett Reservoir
Ross Barnett Reservoir is held back by Ross Barnett Reservoir Dam , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 65 ft high and running 18,400 ft along its crest , built across PEARL RIVER in Rankin County , near JACKSON . It was completed in 1962 , and is owned by PEARL RIV. VAL. WTR. SUP. DIST (a state owner) , to a design credited to HARZA ENGINEERING.
Its recorded primary purpose is water supply — delivering water to its customers comes first, so drawdown here follows demand as much as it follows rainfall .
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. Its outlet works use tainter (radial).
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 fair: sound under normal loading, though a rare or extreme event could expose a deficiency. That assessment is dated 10/06/2020.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 33,000 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 540,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 360,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 250,000 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by MS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record MS02716 , filed by Mississippi — 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 →)
How Ross Barnett Reservoir compares nearby
2 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also rising right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yazoo City Pump Landside | MS | 81.40 ft | 60 km |
| Little Sunflower Riverside | MS | 70.38 ft | 67 km |
| Little Sunflower Landside | MS | 70.70 ft | 67 km |
| Wolf Lake | MS | 86.63 ft | 71 km |
| Big Sunflower | MS | 71.36 ft | 77 km |
| Wasp Lake Riverside | MS | 87.03 ft | 95 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Ross Barnett Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 297.16 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Ross Barnett 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 MVK/Ross Barnett, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Mississippi
See every lake tracked in Mississippi, or read the methodology behind these figures.