Bull Run Reservoir No 1 water level — Oregon
Bull Run Reservoir No 1 in Oregon was last measured at 1,010.92 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 1:00 AM (UTC-07:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−19.4 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−19.4 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 14139000, 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 75 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Bull Run Reservoir No 1
Bull Run Reservoir No 1 is held back by Development No. 1 Dam (also recorded as Bear Creek Dam;Bull Run Reservoir No. 1 (Res)) , a concrete structure , standing 200 ft high and running 970 ft along its crest , built across Bull Run River in Multnomah County , near Troutdale, OR . It was completed in 1929 , and is owned by City of Portland Oregon (a local government owner) , to a design credited to D. C. Henny in collaboration with A.J. Wiley.
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 also serves water supply;hydroelectric.
It is founded on rock, with a concrete core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 120 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)3.
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 04/11/2023.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 386 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 33,760 acre-ft against a normal storage of 26,640 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 21,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record OR00327 , 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 Bull Run Reservoir No 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bull Run Reservoir No 2 | OR | 858.44 ft | 6 km |
| Bull Run Lake | OR | 3,163.78 ft | 19 km |
| Lake Merwin | WA | 235.00 ft | 59 km |
| Yale Reservoir | WA | 474.00 ft | 64 km |
| Swift Reservoir 3.2 Mi East of Dam | WA | 966.00 ft | 65 km |
| Big Cliff Lake | OR | 1,200.34 ft | 83 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Bull Run Reservoir No 1?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 1:00 AM (UTC-07:00), the pool elevation was 1,010.92 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Bull Run Reservoir No 1 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 14139000, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Oregon
See every lake tracked in Oregon, or read the methodology behind these figures.