Onondaga Creek water level — New York
Onondaga Creek in New York was last measured at 459.27 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 3:00 AM (UTC-05:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.2 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.2 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 04238500, 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 69 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Onondaga Creek
Onondaga Creek is held back by Onondaga Dam , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 67 ft high and running 2,050 ft along its crest , built across ONONDAGA CREEK in Onondaga County , near Onondaga Nation . It was completed in 1949 , and is owned by NYS DEC DIVISION OF WATER (a state owner) .
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 .
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 200 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 07/31/2017.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 2,500 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 48,400 acre-ft against a normal storage of 0 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 82,350 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by NYS DEC.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record NY00794 , filed by New York — 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 Onondaga Creek compares nearby
5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onondaga Lake at Liverpool | NY | 363.02 ft | 19 km |
| Owasco Lake | NY | 712.35 ft | 30 km |
| Cayuga Inlet | NY | 382.59 ft | 61 km |
| Whitney Point Lake at Whitney Point | NY | 973.26 ft | 68 km |
| Hinckley Reservoir at Hinckley | NY | 1,207.86 ft | 96 km |
| East Sidney Lake at East Sidney | NY | 1,150.11 ft | 102 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Onondaga Creek?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 3:00 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 459.27 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Onondaga Creek 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 04238500, 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.