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Canyon Ferry Lake Dam Powerplant and Helena Valley Pumping Plant water level

Reservoir, Montana, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Surface elevation

3,784.55ft Up 0.10 ft over the last 7 days

Water stored
1,481,560 acre‑ft
3,785 3,790

History

History
3,7853,790ftOct 15Oct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 193,7853,790ftOct 15Oct 17Oct 19
3,7853,790ftSep 22Sep 28Oct 5Oct 12Oct 193,7853,790ftSep 22Oct 5Oct 19
3,7803,7903,800ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20263,7803,7903,800ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
3,7803,7903,800ftOct 2016Apr 2019Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 20263,7803,7903,800ftOct 2016Oct 2021Oct 2026
3,7803,7903,800ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20263,7803,7903,800ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Canyon Ferry Lake Dam Powerplant and Helena Valley Pumping Plant is at 3,784.55 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 1.14 ft below the median of 3,785.69 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 3,782.58 ft (+1.97 ft).

It has risen 0.10 ft over the past week. In the last month it has stayed between 3,784.39 ft and 3,785.38 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
3,785.69 ft1.14 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
3,781.77 ft – 3,792.03 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year
3,782.58 ft+1.97 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3,784.39 ft – 3,785.38 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3,782.64 ft – 3,791.34 ft

On the water at Canyon Ferry Lake Dam Powerplant and Helena Valley Pumping Plant

Normal levels mean few surprises on the water: ramps in use and the shoreline where you expect it.

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.

21 Wed 69° 43° – Wind 11 mph
22 Thu 71° 47° – Wind 16 mph
23 Fri 58° 38° 0.18 in, 96% Wind 6 mph
24 Sat 51° 33° 0.00 in, 68% Wind 6 mph
25 Sun 41° 35° 0.01 in Wind 2 mph
26 Mon 45° 30° 0.22 in Wind 4 mph
27 Tue 38° 24° 0.02 in Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:54 AM Sunset 06:31 PM Daylight 10 hr, 37 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Helena Valley ReservoirReservoir 3,817.67 ft Very high 7 mi
Missouri River below Hauser Dam near Helena MTRiver gauge, Missouri River 2,790 cfs Low −260.0 cfs 11 mi
Prickly Pear Creek near Clancy MTRiver gauge, Prickly Pear Creek 21.3 cfs Low −0.5 cfs 14 mi
Tenmile Creek near Helena MTRiver gauge, Tenmile Creek 2.47 ft Below flood stage ±0 17 mi
Tenmile Creek near Rimini MTRiver gauge, Tenmile Creek 3.0 cfs Normal −1.2 cfs 27 mi
Missouri River below Holter Dam near Wolf Cr MTRiver gauge, Missouri River 2,900 cfs Very low −80.0 cfs 27 mi
Smith River near Ft Logan MTRiver gauge, Smith River 136 cfs High −17.0 cfs 28 mi
Smith River below Eagle Cr near Fort Logan MTRiver gauge, Smith River 172 cfs High −14.0 cfs 28 mi

Questions and answers

How does Canyon Ferry Lake Dam Powerplant and Helena Valley Pumping Plant compare with last year?

It is 1.97 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3,782.58 ft.

What is a normal level for Canyon Ferry Lake Dam Powerplant and Helena Valley Pumping Plant in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3,785.69 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3,781.77 ft and 3,792.03 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is Canyon Ferry Lake Dam Powerplant and Helena Valley Pumping Plant really 3,784.55 ft deep?

No. 3,784.55 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 Canyon Ferry Lake Dam Powerplant and Helena Valley Pumping Plant today?

On Oct 19, 2026, the surface elevation was 3,784.55 ft. Up 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Canyon Ferry Lake Dam Powerplant and Helena Valley Pumping Plant rising or falling?

Up 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Canyon Ferry Lake Dam Powerplant and Helena Valley Pumping Plant normal?

Normal 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:295 (Agency page)
Coordinates
46.64920, -111.72750 (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 3,784.55 ft 2026-10-19 06:00 Provisional
Water stored 1,481,560 acre‑ft 2026-10-19 06:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Canyon Ferry Lake Dam Powerplant and Helena Valley Pumping Plant (usbr:295). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/canyon-ferry-lake-dam-powerplant-and-helena-valley-pumping-plant

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.