History
Blue Mesa Reservoir water level history
Year-end, low and high water surface at Blue Mesa Dam since 1965, from Reclamation's record
Data through Oct 28, 2026 · source last checked Oct 30, 2026 · page revised Oct 29, 2026
Cite
- Water level at year end (latest reading for the current year)
About this data
- Source
- US Bureau of Reclamation RISE (Upper Colorado Hydrologic Database)
- Series
- Daily water surface elevation, summarized by calendar year
- Geography
- Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Unit
- feet above sea level
- Calculation
- Year-end reading, plus each year's lowest and highest reading
- Last observation
- Oct 28, 2026
- Update frequency
- Daily
Now 7,415.23 ft (Oct 28, 2026). That is 3.5 feet above the lowest reading since the reservoir first reached full pool in July 1970: 7,411.73 feet on Oct 19, 2026, lower than any reading since April 1966, when the reservoir was still filling.
| Year | End of year | Change | Low for the year | High for the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (through Oct 28) | 7,415.23 ft | -51.79 ft | 7,411.73 ft (Oct 19) | 7,468.56 ft (Jan 20) |
| 2025 | 7,467.02 ft | -16.03 ft | 7,464.01 ft (Oct 19) | 7,490.79 ft (Jun 23) |
| 2024 | 7,483.05 ft | -7 ft | 7,475.98 ft (Jun 4) | 7,499.75 ft (Jul 9) |
| 2023 | 7,490.05 ft | +43.61 ft | 7,446.4 ft (Jan 3) | 7,512.47 ft (Jun 25) |
| 2022 | 7,446.44 ft | +12.04 ft | 7,434.5 ft (Jan 1) | 7,463.81 ft (Jul 5) |
| 2021 | 7,434.4 ft | -30.33 ft | 7,429.49 ft (Nov 1) | 7,465.9 ft (Mar 17) |
| 2020 | 7,464.73 ft | -26.06 ft | 7,463.44 ft (Nov 5) | 7,492.87 ft (Jun 19) |
| 2019 | 7,490.79 ft | +52.97 ft | 7,437.18 ft (Mar 10) | 7,519.15 ft (Jul 25) |
| 2018 | 7,437.82 ft | -53.62 ft | 7,437.42 ft (Dec 14) | 7,491.25 ft (Jan 1) |
| 2017 | 7,491.44 ft | +0.01 ft | 7,485.71 ft (Mar 17) | 7,518.59 ft (Aug 9) |
| 2016 | 7,491.43 ft | -4.03 ft | 7,486.82 ft (Mar 8) | 7,515.98 ft (Jul 7) |
| 2015 | 7,495.46 ft | +6.35 ft | 7,485.32 ft (Feb 4) | 7,519.33 ft (Jun 20) |
| 2014 | 7,489.11 ft | +27.55 ft | 7,461.6 ft (Jan 1) | 7,505.06 ft (Jun 6) |
| 2013 | 7,461.56 ft | +8.91 ft | 7,452.55 ft (Jan 23) | 7,472.32 ft (Jun 20) |
| 2012 | 7,452.65 ft | -36.42 ft | 7,451.99 ft (Nov 13) | 7,488.9 ft (Jan 1) |
| 2011 | 7,489.07 ft | +2.23 ft | 7,474.43 ft (May 7) | 7,519.22 ft (Jul 16) |
| 2010 | 7,486.84 ft | -2.89 ft | 7,484.26 ft (Apr 10) | 7,508.86 ft (Jun 27) |
| 2009 | 7,489.73 ft | -0.52 ft | 7,484.35 ft (Apr 8) | 7,519.15 ft (Jun 26) |
| 2008 | 7,490.25 ft | +0.35 ft | 7,465.68 ft (May 5) | 7,511.87 ft (Jul 31) |
| 2007 | 7,489.9 ft | -0.88 ft | 7,477.59 ft (Mar 12) | 7,514.66 ft (Jul 2) |
| 2006 | 7,490.78 ft | +0.79 ft | 7,487.58 ft (Apr 7) | 7,517.71 ft (Jun 17) |
| 2005 | 7,489.99 ft | +11.91 ft | 7,457.5 ft (May 16) | 7,498.98 ft (Jul 13) |
| 2004 | 7,478.08 ft | +17.22 ft | 7,460.89 ft (Jan 1) | 7,497.3 ft (Jul 3) |
| 2003 | 7,460.86 ft | +16.27 ft | 7,444.62 ft (Jan 2) | 7,481.19 ft (Jun 25) |
| 2002 | 7,444.59 ft | -40.57 ft | 7,440.64 ft (Oct 22) | 7,485.06 ft (Jan 1) |
| 2001 | 7,485.16 ft | +5.35 ft | 7,472.64 ft (Apr 27) | 7,501.88 ft (Jul 1) |
| 2000 | 7,479.81 ft | -11.19 ft | 7,479.81 ft (Dec 31) | 7,509.07 ft (Jun 17) |
| 1999 | 7,491 ft | +1.44 ft | 7,483.98 ft (Apr 29) | 7,519.21 ft (Jul 31) |
| 1998 | 7,489.56 ft | -0.06 ft | 7,470.44 ft (Apr 22) | 7,504.84 ft (Aug 4) |
| 1997 | 7,489.62 ft | -2.98 ft | 7,447.48 ft (Apr 17) | 7,517.95 ft (Jul 1) |
| 1996 | 7,492.6 ft | +1.95 ft | 7,476.25 ft (Apr 6) | 7,518.89 ft (Jun 17) |
| 1995 | 7,490.65 ft | +0.88 ft | 7,469.37 ft (May 15) | 7,518.79 ft (Jul 12) |
| 1994 | 7,489.77 ft | -1.99 ft | 7,487.03 ft (Apr 14) | 7,511.26 ft (Jun 27) |
| 1993 | 7,491.76 ft | +1.78 ft | 7,466.18 ft (Apr 26) | 7,517.69 ft (Jul 22) |
| 1992 | 7,489.98 ft | +1.27 ft | 7,481.41 ft (Mar 30) | 7,504.63 ft (Jul 2) |
| 1991 | 7,488.71 ft | -9.57 ft | 7,488.71 ft (Dec 31) | 7,518.93 ft (Jun 20) |
| 1990 | 7,498.28 ft | +10.57 ft | 7,485 ft (Apr 30) | 7,503.1 ft (Jul 17) |
| 1989 | 7,487.71 ft | +14.34 ft | 7,473.4 ft (Jan 1) | 7,501.72 ft (Jun 30) |
| 1988 | 7,473.37 ft | -12.22 ft | 7,460.43 ft (May 12) | 7,485.33 ft (Jan 1) |
| 1987 | 7,485.59 ft | -3.83 ft | 7,448.2 ft (Apr 9) | 7,516.23 ft (Jul 2) |
| 1986 | 7,489.42 ft | +1.19 ft | 7,455.73 ft (Mar 27) | 7,519.24 ft (Jul 10) |
| 1985 | 7,488.23 ft | -12.38 ft | 7,453.97 ft (Apr 7) | 7,515.84 ft (Jul 24) |
| 1984 | 7,500.61 ft | +9.04 ft | 7,427.71 ft (Apr 16) | 7,518.56 ft (Aug 27) |
| 1983 | 7,491.57 ft | -1.75 ft | 7,468.76 ft (Apr 23) | 7,518.97 ft (Jul 10) |
| 1982 | 7,493.32 ft | +38.41 ft | 7,430.17 ft (Apr 9) | 7,509.25 ft (Sep 30) |
| 1981 | 7,454.91 ft | -32.09 ft | 7,454.82 ft (Dec 29) | 7,486.73 ft (Jan 1) |
| 1980 | 7,487 ft | -2.83 ft | 7,453.85 ft (Apr 17) | 7,518.83 ft (Jul 20) |
| 1979 | 7,489.83 ft | -1.86 ft | 7,442.17 ft (Apr 18) | 7,518.5 ft (Jul 28) |
| 1978 | 7,491.69 ft | +56.62 ft | 7,434.81 ft (Mar 2) | 7,518.68 ft (Jul 20) |
| 1977 | 7,435.07 ft | -41.11 ft | 7,430.5 ft (Oct 30) | 7,476.01 ft (Jan 1) |
| 1976 | 7,476.18 ft | -7.59 ft | 7,467.97 ft (Apr 2) | 7,498.05 ft (Jul 8) |
| 1975 | 7,483.77 ft | +7.85 ft | 7,432.27 ft (May 14) | 7,508.2 ft (Aug 21) |
| 1974 | 7,475.92 ft | -16.32 ft | 7,441.48 ft (Apr 5) | 7,497.47 ft (Jul 6) |
| 1973 | 7,492.24 ft | +25.17 ft | 7,448.39 ft (Apr 26) | 7,519.38 ft (Jul 22) |
| 1972 | 7,467.07 ft | -2.28 ft | 7,450.23 ft (Apr 5) | 7,485.07 ft (Jul 4) |
| 1971 | 7,469.35 ft | -29 ft | 7,439.96 ft (Apr 30) | 7,498.01 ft (Jan 1) |
| 1970 | 7,498.35 ft | -0.57 ft | 7,465 ft (Apr 8) | 7,519.64 ft (Jul 8) |
| 1969 | 7,498.92 ft | +18.08 ft | 7,454.44 ft (Apr 19) | 7,509.63 ft (Nov 2) |
| 1968 | 7,480.84 ft | +29.22 ft | 7,432.85 ft (Apr 30) | 7,502.95 ft (Aug 30) |
| 1967 | 7,451.62 ft | +13.75 ft | 7,437.9 ft (Jan 1) | 7,474.11 ft (Jul 20) |
| 1966 | 7,437.87 ft | +95.27 ft | 7,361.4 ft (Jan 31) | 7,437.87 ft (Dec 31) |
| 1965 (from Nov 30) | 7,342.6 ft | – | 7,303.9 ft (Nov 30) | 7,342.6 ft (Dec 31) |
| Milestone | Level |
|---|---|
| Record begins | 7,303.9 ft (Nov 30, 1965), while the reservoir was filling |
| First reached full pool | July 1970 (high 7,519.64 ft on Jul 8, 1970) |
| Record high | 7,519.64 ft (Jul 8, 1970) |
| Last month at full pool | July 1970 |
| Lowest since first reaching full pool | 7,411.73 ft (Oct 19, 2026) |
| Top of the inactive pool | 7,393 ft |
| Top of dead storage | 7,358 ft |
| Latest reading | 7,415.23 ft (Oct 28, 2026) |
Download the full series (CSV) ↓
About this record
Blue Mesa Reservoir's water level was 7,415.23 feet above sea level on Oct 28, 2026, 104.17 feet below full pool (7,519.4 feet), with 151,197 acre-feet in storage (16% of capacity). That is 3.5 feet above the lowest reading since the reservoir first reached full pool in July 1970: 7,411.73 feet on Oct 19, 2026, lower than any reading since April 1966, when the reservoir was still filling.
Each row of the table summarizes Reclamation's reading of the water surface at Blue Mesa Dam for one calendar year: the level on Dec 31, the change from the year before, and the year's lowest and highest readings with their dates. The record begins on Nov 30, 1965, as the new dam began to store the Gunnison River. Through 1966 it holds one reading at the end of each month, so the lows and highs for 1965 and 1966 are month-end figures; it has a reading for every day from Dec 31, 1966. The 2026 row runs through Oct 28, 2026 and will close at the year's final reading. Completed years come from the full record in Reclamation's RISE database; the current year is read from the same daily series behind Blue Mesa Reservoir water level, which carries the latest daily reading with storage in acre-feet.
Why Blue Mesa Reservoir is so low reads this record against Reclamation's inflow and release figures: the 1970 fill, the dry years of 1977, 2002, 2018 and 2021, and the 2026 drop.