Barker Reservoir water level — Texas
Barker Reservoir in Texas was last measured at 69.43 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 31, 2026, 3:15 AM (UTC-05:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.1 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 2 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.1 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 08072500 · USACE SWG/ADDT2-Alt, 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 128 sq mi of contributing watershed. USACE's continuous elevation record for this project begins in 2015 .
The dam behind Barker Reservoir
Barker Reservoir is held back by Barker Dam , a concrete gravity structure, resisting the reservoir by its own weight alone , standing 37 ft high and running 71,900 ft along its crest , built across BUFFALO BAYOU in Harris County , near HOUSTON . It was completed in 1945 , and is owned by USACE - Galveston District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CESWG.
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.
It is founded on soil, 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 14,131 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)0.
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.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 1 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 209,592 acre-ft against a normal storage of 0 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 8,730 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record TX00019 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — 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 Barker Reservoir compares nearby
4 of 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addicks Reservoir | TX | 76.42 ft | 3 km |
| Lake Houston | TX | — | 51 km |
| Lake Conroe | TX | 200.04 ft | 66 km |
| Gibbons Creek Reservoir | TX | 246.01 ft | 102 km |
| Somerville Lake | TX | 237.46 ft | 105 km |
| Livingston Reservoir | TX | 129.61 ft | 114 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Barker Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 3:15 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 69.43 ft (datum NAVD88), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Barker 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 08072500 · USACE SWG/ADDT2-Alt, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Texas
See every lake tracked in Texas, or read the methodology behind these figures.