Alcova Reservoir water level

Name: Alcova Reservoir water level (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)
Creator: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
License: https://www.usbr.gov/main/disclaim.html

Reservoir, Wyoming, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Surface elevation

5,493.84ft Down 1.97 ft over the last 7 days

Measured Oct 16, 2026 (2 days ago)

Water stored: 169,515 acre‑ft

History

What this means

Alcova Reservoir is above normal at 5,493.84 ft.

That puts it 1.65 ft above the median of 5,492.19 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 5,492.19 ft (+1.65 ft).

It has dropped 1.97 ft over the past week. In the last month it has stayed between 5,493.84 ft and 5,498.66 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: 5,492.19 ft1.65 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5,488.72 ft – 5,494.56 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year: 5,492.19 ft+1.65 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5,493.84 ft – 5,498.66 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5,488.07 ft – 5,498.87 ft

On the water at Alcova Reservoir

With the level a bit above normal, expect a shoreline slightly higher up than usual and the odd floating branch.

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.13 in.

18 Sun 69° 40° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 69° 46° – Wind 16 mph

20 Tue 68° 51° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 70° 52° – Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 70° 55° – Wind 23 mph

23 Fri 65° 40° 0.17 in, 41% Wind 30 mph

24 Sat 48° 35° 0.24 in, 45% Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 49%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Gray Reef ReservoirReservoir	5,329.36 ft	Normal		1.6 mi
Pathfinder ReservoirReservoir	5,783.55 ft	Very low		9 mi
Seminoe ReservoirReservoir	6,292.81 ft	Very low		29 mi
L Medicine Bow R above Sand Cr, near Shirley BasinRiver gauge, L Medicine Bow R	1.9 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	33 mi
Deer Creek in Canyon, near GlenrockRiver gauge, Deer Creek in Canyon,	3.6 cfs	Very low	−1.0 cfs	37 mi
Medicine Bow River above Seminoe Reservoir, near HannaRiver gauge, Medicine Bow River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	39 mi
Lake Medicine Bow River at Boles Spring, near Medicine BowRiver gauge, Lake Medicine Bow River	1.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	48 mi

Questions and answers

How does Alcova Reservoir compare with last year?

It is 1.65 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5,492.19 ft.

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

The median for mid-October is 5,492.19 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5,488.72 ft and 5,494.56 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is Alcova Reservoir really 5,493.84 ft deep?

No. 5,493.84 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 Alcova Reservoir today?

On Oct 16, 2026, the surface elevation was 5,493.84 ft. Down 1.97 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Alcova Reservoir rising or falling?

Down 1.97 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Alcova Reservoir normal?

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:259 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.54890, -106.72060 (WGS84)
Update interval: once a day
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (RISE), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Surface elevation	5,493.84 ft	2026-10-16 06:00	Provisional
Water stored	169,515 acre‑ft	2026-10-16 06:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/19315?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Alcova Reservoir water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Alcova Reservoir (usbr:259). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wyoming/alcova-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