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Mount Elbert Forebay Reservoir water level

Reservoir, Colorado, United States

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Surface elevation

9,613.55ft Down 1.71 ft over the last 7 days

Water stored
3,557 acre‑ft
9,620 9,630 9,640

History

History
9,6209,6309,640ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 15Oct 16Oct 179,6209,6309,640ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 17
9,6209,6309,640ftSep 20Sep 26Oct 3Oct 10Oct 179,6209,6309,640ftSep 20Oct 3Oct 17
9,6209,6309,640ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20269,6209,6309,640ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
9,6209,6309,640ftOct 2016Apr 2019Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 20269,6209,6309,640ftOct 2016Oct 2021Oct 2026
9,6209,6309,640ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20269,6209,6309,640ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Mount Elbert Forebay Reservoir is far below normal for mid-October, with the lake level at 9,613.55 ft.

That puts it 22.76 ft below the median of 9,636.31 ft for mid-October, based on 20 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 9,634.16 ft (−20.61 ft).

It has dropped 1.71 ft over the past week. With the water still dropping, the shoreline keeps moving out. In the last month it has stayed between 9,613.55 ft and 9,634.94 ft.

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

Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
9,636.31 ft22.76 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
9,632.02 ft – 9,638.48 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (20 years of records)
Same day last year
9,634.16 ft−20.61 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
9,613.55 ft – 9,634.94 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
9,613.55 ft – 9,643.44 ft

On the water at Mount Elbert Forebay Reservoir

A receding shoreline opens up beaches but also uncovers hazards: stumps, rocks and soft mud that are usually well under water.

Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 59° 28° – Wind 15 mph
19 Mon 53° 33° 0.09 in Wind 18 mph
20 Tue 53° 34° – Wind 13 mph
21 Wed 56° 37° 0.01 in, 67% Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 50° 41° 0.07 in, 90% Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 48° 32° 0.00 in, 90% Wind 15 mph
24 Sat 49° 29° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:20 AM Sunset 06:22 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 59%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Twin Lakes ReservoirReservoir 9,186.10 ft Low 2.6 mi
Arkansas River near LeadvilleRiver gauge, Arkansas River 4.38 ft Below flood stage ±0 10 mi
Turquoise Lake and Sugar LoafReservoir 9,833.35 ft Very low 10 mi
Ef Arkansas River at Us Highway 24, near LeadvilleRiver gauge, Ef Arkansas River 13.0 cfs Very low ±0 12 mi
Roaring Fork River above Lost Man Creek near AspenRiver gauge, Roaring Fork River 3.7 cfs High +0.1 cfs 15 mi
Taylor River at Taylor ParkRiver gauge, Taylor River 1.30 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 20 mi
Texas Creek at Taylor ParkRiver gauge, Texas Creek 19.6 cfs Normal −0.6 cfs 21 mi
Missouri Creek near Gold ParkRiver gauge, Missouri Creek 1.1 cfs Low ±0 21 mi

Questions and answers

How does Mount Elbert Forebay Reservoir compare with last year?

It is 20.61 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 9,634.16 ft.

What is a normal level for Mount Elbert Forebay Reservoir in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 9,636.31 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 9,632.02 ft and 9,638.48 ft, based on 20 years of records.

Is Mount Elbert Forebay Reservoir really 9,613.55 ft deep?

No. 9,613.55 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 Mount Elbert Forebay Reservoir today?

On Oct 17, 2026, the surface elevation was 9,613.55 ft. Down 1.71 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Mount Elbert Forebay Reservoir rising or falling?

Down 1.71 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Mount Elbert Forebay Reservoir normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 20 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:419 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.10220, -106.35330 (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 9,613.55 ft 2026-10-17 06:00 Provisional
Water stored 3,557 acre‑ft 2026-10-17 06:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Mount Elbert Forebay Reservoir (usbr:419). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/mount-elbert-forebay-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.