Black Butte Lake Water Level Today

California · near Orland · Well below full pool

Flood pool473.5Full pool471.4Bottom of pool414.6
Elevation
440.60 ft
From full pool
−30.81 ft
Percent of pool
45.8%
24-hour change
−0.35 ft
7-day change
−2.06 ft
Reading
Sep 21, 2026 · USACE

Last year at Black Butte Lake

440.7457.1473.5full poolflood poolAug 25Nov 25Feb 26May 26Aug 26
Daily mean elevation in feet, last 398 days. Dashed lines mark the published pool elevations.

Black Butte Lake is 30.81 ft below full pool, at 440.60 ft, down 0.35 ft in the last 24 hours. That puts the lake at 45.8 percent of its conservation pool. The top of the flood pool is 32.9 ft higher, at 473.50 ft.

Over the last 7 days the level fell 2.06 ft, and over 30 days it fell 8.03 ft. In the 398 days of readings on this page the high was 465.40 ft on May 5, 2026 and the low was 440.72 ft on Sep 21, 2026, a range of 24.68 ft.

The reading is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gauge, near Orland, taken Sep 21, 2026 and referenced to the NGVD29 datum. This page is rebuilt once a day from the agency feed; it is not a live gauge, so during a fast rise or a scheduled release check the USACE page for hourly values.

Black Butte Lake pool elevations

Current elevation440.60 ft
Full pool (top of conservation)471.41 ft
Top of flood pool473.50 ft
Bottom of conservation pool414.60 ft
Top of dam515.00 ft
Inflow-116 cfs
Outflow332 cfs
30-day change−8.03 ft
1-year high465.40 ft (May 5, 2026)
1-year low440.72 ft (Sep 21, 2026)
Vertical datumNGVD29
Operating agencyU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, SPK district

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Read what full pool and flood pool mean.

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Black Butte Lake level questions

What is the water level of Black Butte Lake today?

Black Butte Lake is at 440.60 ft as of Sep 21, 2026, −30.81 ft relative to full pool (471.41 ft). The 24-hour change is −0.35 ft.

What is full pool at Black Butte Lake?

Full pool, the top of the conservation pool, is 471.41 ft (NGVD29). Above that, water is stored temporarily in the flood pool up to 473.50 ft. The bottom of the conservation pool is 414.60 ft.

Is Black Butte Lake rising or falling?

Over the last 24 hours the level is −0.35 ft; over 7 days it fell 2.06 ft, and over 30 days it fell 8.03 ft.

Where does this Black Butte Lake level come from?

From the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) public data feed for Black Butte Lake. Lake Levels Today republishes the agency's daily value without adjustment and links to the source below.