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Willow Creek Reservoir water level

Reservoir, Colorado, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Surface elevation

8,116.85ft Down 0.75 ft over the last 7 days

Water stored
6,417 acre‑ft
8,120 8,125

History

History
8,1208,125ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 15Oct 16Oct 178,1208,125ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 17
8,1208,125ftSep 20Sep 26Oct 3Oct 10Oct 178,1208,125ftSep 20Oct 3Oct 17
8,1158,1208,125ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20268,1158,1208,125ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
8,1108,1208,130ftOct 2016Apr 2019Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 20268,1108,1208,130ftNov 2016Oct 2021Oct 2026
8,1108,1208,130ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20268,1108,1208,130ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Water is short at Willow Creek Reservoir: the latest reading of 8,116.85 ft is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 6.78 ft below the median of 8,123.63 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 8,125.40 ft (−8.55 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.75 ft over the past week. With the water still dropping, the shoreline keeps moving out. The 30-day range is 8,116.78 ft – 8,119.79 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
8,123.63 ft6.78 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
8,116.72 ft – 8,126.35 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year
8,125.40 ft−8.55 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
8,116.78 ft – 8,119.79 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
8,116.78 ft – 8,126.12 ft

Boating and fishing at Willow Creek Reservoir

At low levels, launching can mean a long walk or a closed ramp, and shallow points stick out further than charts suggest.

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 62° 24° – Wind 9 mph
19 Mon 59° 37° 0.11 in Wind 13 mph
20 Tue 62° 36° – Wind 10 mph
21 Wed 64° 38° – Wind 10 mph
22 Thu 61° 41° 0.00 in, 56% Wind 8 mph
23 Fri 62° 43° 0.07 in, 50% Wind 14 mph
24 Sat 55° 34° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:19 AM Sunset 06:20 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 57%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Willow Creek below Willow Creek ReservoirRiver gauge, Willow Creek 2.46 ft Below flood stage ±0 0.2 mi
Colorado River below Lake GranbyRiver gauge, Colorado River 23.0 cfs High ±0 4.0 mi
Colorado River at Windy Gap, near GranbyRiver gauge, Colorado River 3.40 ft Below flood stage +0.03 ft 4.3 mi
Lake GranbyLake 8,235.17 ft Very low 4.4 mi
Shadow Mountain LakeLake 8,366.66 ft Normal 7 mi
Colorado River below Shadow Mountain ReservoirRiver gauge, Colorado River 35.8 cfs Normal ±0 7 mi
Grand LakeLake 8,366.61 ft High 10 mi
Fraser River below Crooked Creek at TabernashRiver gauge, Fraser River 36.8 cfs Low −0.8 cfs 11 mi

Questions and answers

How does Willow Creek Reservoir compare with last year?

It is 8.55 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 8,125.40 ft.

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

The median for mid-October is 8,123.63 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 8,116.72 ft and 8,126.35 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is Willow Creek Reservoir really 8,116.85 ft deep?

No. 8,116.85 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 Willow Creek Reservoir today?

On Oct 17, 2026, the surface elevation was 8,116.85 ft. Down 0.75 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Willow Creek Reservoir rising or falling?

Down 0.75 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Willow Creek Reservoir normal?

Low 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:515 (Agency page)
Coordinates
40.14780, -105.94200 (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 8,116.85 ft 2026-10-17 06:00 Provisional
Water stored 6,417 acre‑ft 2026-10-17 06:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Willow Creek Reservoir (usbr:515). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/willow-creek-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.