Vallecito Reservoir water level

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

Reservoir, Colorado, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Surface elevation

7,646.61ft Up 5.81 ft over the last 7 days

Measured Oct 16, 2026 (2 days ago)

Water stored: 78,969 acre‑ft

History

What this means

At 7,646.61 ft, Vallecito Reservoir is holding more water than usual for mid-October.

That puts it 7.97 ft above the median of 7,638.64 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 7,645.00 ft (+1.61 ft).

It is on the way up, by 5.81 ft over the past week. The 30-day range is 7,622.14 ft – 7,646.61 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: 7,638.64 ft7.97 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 7,619.82 ft – 7,647.33 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year: 7,645.00 ft+1.61 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 7,622.14 ft – 7,646.61 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 7,617.44 ft – 7,663.09 ft

Boating and fishing at Vallecito Reservoir

Slightly high water rarely causes problems on the water itself, though some low-lying shoreline spots may be wet.

Conditions at the shore change with the level, so check with the agency that runs the lake before a trip.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 2.76 in.

16 Fri 55° 36° – Wind 9 mph

17 Sat 61° 36° – Wind 7 mph

18 Sun 61° 40° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 55° 43° 0.20 in, 36% Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 58° 42° 0.11 in, 68% Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 60° 44° 0.21 in, 84% Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 53° 45° 1.28 in, 93% Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:21 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min First quarter 44%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near BayfieldRiver gauge, Los Pinos River	452 cfs	Very high	−79.0 cfs	2.9 mi
Lemon ReservoirReservoir	8,122.28 ft	Very high		5.9 mi
Lemon Reservoir near DurangoReservoir, Lemon Reservoir	8,122.79 ft	Very high	+0.82 ft	5.9 mi
Vallecito Creek near BayfieldRiver gauge, Vallecito Creek	368 cfs	Very high	−58.0 cfs	6.1 mi
Los Pinos River near IgnacioRiver gauge, Los Pinos River	47.3 cfs	Normal	−5.7 cfs	16 mi
Hermosa Creek near HermosaRiver gauge, Hermosa Creek	191 cfs	Very high	−54.0 cfs	16 mi
Animas River at Tall Timber Resort above TacomaRiver gauge, Animas River	965 cfs	Very high	−115.0 cfs	19 mi
Animas River at DurangoRiver gauge, Animas River	3.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

How does Vallecito Reservoir compare with last year?

It is 1.61 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7,645.00 ft.

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

The median for mid-October is 7,638.64 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7,619.82 ft and 7,647.33 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is Vallecito Reservoir really 7,646.61 ft deep?

No. 7,646.61 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 Vallecito Reservoir today?

On Oct 16, 2026, the surface elevation was 7,646.61 ft. Up 5.81 ft over the last 7 days.

Is Vallecito Reservoir rising or falling?

Up 5.81 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Vallecito 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:501 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.38956, -107.55602 (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	7,646.61 ft	2026-10-16 07:00	Provisional
Water stored	78,969 acre‑ft	2026-10-16 07:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Vallecito Reservoir (usbr:501). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/vallecito-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