Ft Phantom Hill Reservoir water level — Texas
Ft Phantom Hill Reservoir in Texas was last measured at 1,629.75 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 2:30 AM (UTC-05:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−1.1 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−1.1 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 08083500, 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 470 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Ft Phantom Hill Reservoir
Ft Phantom Hill Reservoir is held back by Fort Phantom Hill Dam , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 84 ft high and running 3,740 ft along its crest , built across BIG ELM CREEK in Jones County , near NUGENT . It was completed in 1938 , and is owned by CITY OF ABILENE (a local government owner) , to a design credited to HAWLEY AND FREESE AND NICHOLS.
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;other.
It is founded on rock;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 7,856 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)3;uncontrolled2.
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 06/03/2022.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 4,246 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 136,076 acre-ft against a normal storage of 70,300 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 307,800 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by TCEQ.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record TX02483 , filed by Texas — 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 Ft Phantom Hill Reservoir 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirby Lake at Abilene | TX | 1,782.38 ft | 24 km |
| Lake Abilene | TX | 1,992.75 ft | 45 km |
| Lake Stamford | TX | 1,412.99 ft | 53 km |
| Lake Coleman | TX | 1,713.27 ft | 66 km |
| Lake Cisco | TX | 1,503.64 ft | 68 km |
| Hubbard Creek Reservoir | TX | 1,166.79 ft | 72 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Ft Phantom Hill Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 2:30 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 1,629.75 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Ft Phantom Hill 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 08083500, 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.