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Helena Valley Reservoir water level

Reservoir, Montana, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Surface elevation

3,817.70ft Down 0.20 ft over the last 7 days

Water stored
9,270 acre‑ft
3,813 3,815 3,818

History

3,8123,8143,8163,818ftOct 14Oct 15Oct 16Oct 17Oct 183,8123,8143,8163,818ftOct 14Oct 16Oct 18
3,8133,8153,8183,820ftSep 21Sep 27Oct 4Oct 11Oct 183,8133,8153,8183,820ftSep 21Oct 4Oct 18
3,8103,8153,820ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20263,8103,8153,820ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
3,8103,8153,820ftOct 2016Apr 2019Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 20263,8103,8153,820ftOct 2016Oct 2021Oct 2026
3,8103,8153,820ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20263,8103,8153,820ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Helena Valley Reservoir is well above normal at 3,817.70 ft.

The median for mid-October is 3,814.74 ft, based on 36 years of readings, so the lake level is 2.96 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 3,817.67 ft, a difference of +0.03 ft.

It has dropped 0.20 ft over the past week. In the last month it has stayed between 3,817.70 ft and 3,819.80 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
3,814.74 ft2.96 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
3,811.51 ft – 3,817.58 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year
3,817.67 ft+0.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3,817.70 ft – 3,819.80 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3,813.90 ft – 3,819.80 ft

On the water at Helena Valley Reservoir

Well above normal, shoreline trees stand in the water and debris floats on the surface. Slow down near the edges.

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.

19 Mon 70° 31° – Wind 10 mph
20 Tue 65° 40° – Wind 13 mph
21 Wed 69° 37° – Wind 13 mph
22 Thu 72° 45° – Wind 8 mph
23 Fri 57° 39° 0.04 in, 90% Wind 16 mph
24 Sat 56° 31° – Wind 15 mph
25 Sun 47° 28° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:53 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 10 hr, 40 min First quarter 66%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Canyon Ferry Lake Dam Powerplant and Helena Valley Pumping PlantReservoir 3,784.55 ft Normal 7 mi
Prickly Pear Creek near Clancy MTRiver gauge, Prickly Pear Creek 21.8 cfs Low −1.0 cfs 9 mi
Missouri River below Hauser Dam near Helena MTRiver gauge, Missouri River 3,050 cfs Low +130 cfs 9 mi
Tenmile Creek near Helena MTRiver gauge, Tenmile Creek 2.47 ft Below flood stage +0.07 ft 10 mi
Tenmile Creek near Rimini MTRiver gauge, Tenmile Creek 4.0 cfs Normal −0.1 cfs 19 mi
Missouri River below Holter Dam near Wolf Cr MTRiver gauge, Missouri River 2,980 cfs Very low +30.0 cfs 25 mi
Little Prickly Pear Cr at Wolf Cr MTRiver gauge, Little Prickly Pear Cr 50.4 cfs Normal ±0 27 mi
Boulder River near BoulderRiver gauge, Boulder River 36.9 cfs Normal +1.0 cfs 31 mi

Questions and answers

Is Helena Valley Reservoir higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.03 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3,817.67 ft.

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

The median for mid-October is 3,814.74 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3,811.51 ft and 3,817.58 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is Helena Valley Reservoir really 3,817.70 ft deep?

No. 3,817.70 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 Helena Valley Reservoir today?

On Oct 18, 2026, the surface elevation was 3,817.70 ft. Down 0.20 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Helena Valley Reservoir rising or falling?

Down 0.20 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Helena Valley 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:7301 (Agency page)
Coordinates
46.63810, -111.88220 (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 3,817.70 ft 2026-10-18 06:00 Provisional
Water stored 9,270 acre‑ft 2026-10-18 06:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Helena Valley Reservoir (usbr:7301). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/helena-valley-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