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Platoro Reservoir water level

Reservoir, Colorado, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Surface elevation

9,987.31ft Up 1.21 ft over the last 7 days

Water stored
22,587 acre‑ft
9,970 9,980 9,990 10,000

History

History
9,9709,9809,99010,000ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 14Oct 15Oct 169,9709,9809,99010,000ftOct 12Oct 14Oct 16
9,9709,9809,99010,000ftSep 19Sep 25Oct 2Oct 9Oct 169,9709,9809,99010,000ftSep 19Oct 2Oct 16
9,98010,00010,020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20269,98010,00010,020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
9,98010,00010,020ftOct 2016Apr 2019Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 20269,98010,00010,020ftOct 2016Oct 2021Oct 2026
9,98010,00010,020ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20269,98010,00010,020ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The lake level at Platoro Reservoir reads 9,987.31 ft, about where it usually sits at this time of year.

That puts it 1.16 ft above the median of 9,986.15 ft for mid-October, based on 11 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 9,995.64 ft (−8.33 ft).

It is on the way up, by 1.21 ft over the past week. The 30-day range is 9,986.08 ft – 9,987.96 ft.

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

Compared with 11 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
9,986.15 ft1.16 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
9,971.56 ft – 10,000.60 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (11 years of records)
Same day last year
9,995.64 ft−8.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
9,986.08 ft – 9,987.96 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
9,986.08 ft – 9,994.86 ft

Boating and fishing at Platoro Reservoir

A lake in its usual range is what most ramps, docks and swimming areas are built for.

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.

18 Sun 51° 33° – Wind 8 mph
19 Mon 49° 35° 0.02 in, 24% Wind 10 mph
20 Tue 49° 36° 0.06 in, 45% Wind 8 mph
21 Wed 53° 37° 0.06 in, 66% Wind 9 mph
22 Thu 46° 39° 1.35 in, 85% Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 42° 31° 0.34 in, 91% Wind 12 mph
24 Sat 48° 31° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 50%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
San Juan River above Turkey Creek near Pagosa SpringsRiver gauge, San Juan River 5.69 ft No reference yet −0.14 ft 19 mi
San Juan River at Pagosa SpringsRiver gauge, San Juan River 5.96 ft Below flood stage −0.26 ft 25 mi
Rio Chama above ChamaRiver gauge, Rio Chama 1.70 ft No reference yet −0.07 ft 28 mi
San Juan River near CarracasRiver gauge, San Juan River 754 cfs Very high −151.0 cfs 47 mi

Questions and answers

How does Platoro Reservoir compare with last year?

It is 8.33 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 9,995.64 ft.

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

The median for mid-October is 9,986.15 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 9,971.56 ft and 10,000.60 ft, based on 11 years of records.

Is Platoro Reservoir really 9,987.31 ft deep?

No. 9,987.31 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 Platoro Reservoir today?

On Oct 16, 2026, the surface elevation was 9,987.31 ft. Up 1.21 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Platoro Reservoir rising or falling?

Up 1.21 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Platoro Reservoir normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 11 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:3512 (Agency page)
Coordinates
37.34060, -106.56400 (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 9,987.31 ft 2026-10-16 07:00 Provisional
Water stored 22,587 acre‑ft 2026-10-16 07:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Platoro Reservoir (usbr:3512). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/platoro-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.