Kirby Lake at Abilene water level — Texas
Kirby Lake at Abilene in Texas was last measured at 1,782.38 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 31, 2026, 2:30 AM (UTC-05:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−1.0 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−1.0 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 08083460, 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 42 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Kirby Lake at Abilene
Kirby Lake at Abilene is held back by Lake Kirby Dam , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 50 ft high and running 4,200 ft along its crest , built across CEDAR CREEK in Taylor County , near ABILENE . It was completed in 1928 and modified in 2019H , and is owned by CITY OF ABILENE (a local government owner) , to a design credited to FREESE AND NICHOLS;NIGEL WITT ROLLINS.
Its recorded primary purpose is irrigation — the pool is drawn down across the growing season to serve water rights downstream, then refilled over winter . It also serves irrigation;water supply.
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 7,120 ft wide. Its outlet works use 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. It has not been assigned a condition rating. That assessment is dated 09/24/2024.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 780 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 15,922 acre-ft against a normal storage of 7,620 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 47,661 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by TCEQ.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record TX02703 , 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 Kirby Lake at Abilene 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Abilene | TX | 1,992.75 ft | 22 km |
| Ft Phantom Hill Reservoir | TX | 1,629.75 ft | 24 km |
| Lake Coleman | TX | 1,713.27 ft | 47 km |
| Oak Creek Reservoir | TX | 1,974.19 ft | 63 km |
| Hords Creek Lake | TX | 1,889.04 ft | 64 km |
| Lake Cisco | TX | 1,503.64 ft | 70 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Kirby Lake at Abilene?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 2:30 AM (UTC-05:00), the pool elevation was 1,782.38 ft (datum NAVD88), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Kirby Lake at Abilene 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 08083460, 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.