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Vallecito Reservoir water level

Reservoir, Colorado, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Surface elevation

7,648.05ft Up 6.58 ft over the last 7 days

Water stored
82,333 acre‑ft
7,620 7,630 7,640 7,650

History

7,6207,6307,6407,650ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 15Oct 16Oct 187,6207,6307,6407,650ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 18
7,6207,6307,6407,650ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 11Oct 187,6207,6307,6407,650ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 18
7,6207,6407,660ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20267,6207,6407,660ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
7,6207,6407,660ftOct 2016Apr 2019Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 20267,6207,6407,660ftOct 2016Oct 2021Oct 2026
7,6207,6407,660ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20267,6207,6407,660ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

At 7,648.05 ft, Vallecito Reservoir is holding more water than usual for mid-October.

That puts it 9.30 ft above the median of 7,638.75 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 7,646.72 ft (+1.33 ft).

It is on the way up, by 6.58 ft over the past week. The 30-day range is 7,623.70 ft – 7,648.05 ft.

Many reservoirs are drawn down through summer and fall; most of the refill comes later, with winter rain or spring snowmelt.

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
7,638.75 ft9.30 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
7,620.13 ft – 7,647.40 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year
7,646.72 ft+1.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
7,623.70 ft – 7,648.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
7,617.44 ft – 7,663.09 ft

Boating and fishing at Vallecito Reservoir

When a lake runs high, docks and swimming areas may close for a while and floating logs become a real hazard for boats.

Conditions at the shore change with the level, so check with the agency that runs the lake before a trip.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 57° 42° – Wind 5 mph
20 Tue 59° 42° – Wind 8 mph
21 Wed 57° 45° 0.29 in, 96% Wind 9 mph
22 Thu 54° 48° 1.78 in, 100% Wind 8 mph
23 Fri 54° 41° 0.47 in, 98% Wind 7 mph
24 Sat 53° 36° 0.02 in, 29% Wind 8 mph
25 Sun 57° 38° 0.01 in Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 61%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near BayfieldRiver gauge, Los Pinos River 391 cfs High −35.0 cfs 2.9 mi
Lemon ReservoirReservoir 8,123.74 ft Very high 5.9 mi
Lemon Reservoir near DurangoReservoir, Lemon Reservoir 8,124.00 ft Very high +0.66 ft 5.9 mi
Vallecito Creek near BayfieldRiver gauge, Vallecito Creek 314 cfs Very high −32.0 cfs 6.1 mi
Los Pinos River near IgnacioRiver gauge, Los Pinos River 44.0 cfs Normal −3.3 cfs 16 mi
Hermosa Creek near HermosaRiver gauge, Hermosa Creek 155 cfs Very high −15.0 cfs 16 mi
Animas River at Tall Timber Resort above TacomaRiver gauge, Animas River 842 cfs Very high −60.0 cfs 19 mi
Animas River at DurangoRiver gauge, Animas River 3.61 ft Below flood stage −0.13 ft 19 mi

Questions and answers

How does Vallecito Reservoir compare with last year?

It is 1.33 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7,646.72 ft.

What is a normal level for Vallecito Reservoir in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7,638.75 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7,620.13 ft and 7,647.40 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is Vallecito Reservoir really 7,648.05 ft deep?

No. 7,648.05 ft is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.

What is the water level of Vallecito Reservoir today?

On Oct 18, 2026, the surface elevation was 7,648.05 ft. Up 6.58 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Vallecito Reservoir rising or falling?

Up 6.58 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Vallecito Reservoir normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation publishes a new reading once a day. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Station code
usbr:501 (Agency page)
Coordinates
37.38956, -107.55602 (WGS84)
Update interval
once a day
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (RISE), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Surface elevation 7,648.05 ft 2026-10-18 07:00 Provisional
Water stored 82,333 acre‑ft 2026-10-18 07:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Vallecito Reservoir (usbr:501). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/vallecito-reservoir

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer