Hinckley Reservoir at Hinckley water level — New York
Hinckley Reservoir at Hinckley in New York was last measured at 1,207.86 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 31, 2026, 2:45 AM (UTC-05:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−2.6 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−2.6 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 01343900, 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 372 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Hinckley Reservoir at Hinckley
Hinckley Reservoir at Hinckley is held back by Hinckley , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 83 ft high and running 3,635 ft along its crest , built across West Canada Creek in Herkimer County , near Hinckley . It was completed in 1914 , and is owned by New York Power Authority (a state owner) , to a design credited to New York State Dept. of Public Works / DOT.
Its recorded primary purpose is hydroelectric — releases follow generation schedules, so the level can move on a daily cycle that has nothing to do with drought . It also serves hydroelectric;navigation;water supply.
It is founded on rock;soil, with a concrete 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 400 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. Its most recent condition assessment was satisfactory — no deficiencies recognised for expected loading. That assessment is dated 04/11/2023.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 2,850 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 76,200 acre-ft against a normal storage of 76,200 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 106,695 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record NY00181 , filed by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — 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 Hinckley Reservoir at Hinckley compares nearby
All 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stillwater Reservoir | NY | 1,671.26 ft | 65 km |
| Onondaga Lake at Liverpool | NY | 363.02 ft | 93 km |
| Great Sacandaga Lake at Conklingville | NY | 761.18 ft | 96 km |
| Onondaga Creek | NY | 459.27 ft | 96 km |
| East Sidney Lake at East Sidney | NY | 1,150.11 ft | 110 km |
| Saratoga Lake | NY | 203.49 ft | 116 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Hinckley Reservoir at Hinckley?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 2:45 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 1,207.86 ft (datum NAVD88), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Hinckley Reservoir at Hinckley 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 01343900, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in New York
See every lake tracked in New York, or read the methodology behind these figures.