Reservoirs
Major reservoirs, their capacity and the systems they support — and, for reservoirs Hydrionis monitors, decades of storage history.
The largest reservoir in the United States by capacity, impounded by the Hoover Dam. Its decline to record low levels in 2022 became the defining image of the Colorado River shortage.
- Capacity
- approximately 32,200 million m³
- Dam
- Hoover Dam, completed 1936
- Record low elevation
- reached in July 2022
- Population dependent
- around 25 million
The reservoir behind the Three Gorges Dam, the largest power station in the world by installed capacity and one of the largest engineering interventions ever made in a river system.
- Capacity
- approximately 39,300 million m³
- Installed generating capacity
- 22,500 MW
- Completed
- 2012
- People resettled
- over 1.3 million
Formed by the Aswan High Dam, it gave Egypt multi-year storage on the Nile for the first time — ending the annual flood that had defined Egyptian agriculture for millennia, along with the silt it delivered.
- Capacity
- approximately 132,000 million m³
- Dam completed
- 1970
- Length
- approximately 550 km
- Annual evaporation loss
- a substantial fraction of storage, owing to surface area and climate
The largest artificial lake in the UK by capacity, built to supply industrial demand in north east England that never fully materialised — leaving the region with the most comfortable water resource position in England.
- Capacity
- approximately 200 million m³
- Surface area
- 10.9 km²
- Completed
- 1982
- Purpose
- Regulating reservoir supporting the Tyne, Wear and Tees
One of the largest reservoirs in England by surface area, a pumped storage reservoir filled from the Rivers Nene and Welland rather than by its own catchment.
- Capacity
- approximately 124 million m³
- Surface area
- 12.6 km²
- Completed
- 1975
- Type
- Pumped storage — filled by transfer, not by natural catchment
Monitored reservoirs (187)
Reservoirs for which Hydrionis holds a continuous storage record, the longest opening in 1905. Each has a monthly series, a seasonal profile and its position against its own history.
Latest storage held
| Reservoir | Stored | As of | Record | Months held |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Mead | 8,475.91 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1937–2026 | 1,072 |
| Lake Powell | 6,313.15 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1963–2026 | 759 |
| Hungry Horse Reservoir | 3,913.87 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1951–2026 | 900 |
| Shasta Lk Nr Redding CA | 3,397.83 Mm³ | September 2025 | 1944–2025 | 972 |
| Lake Texoma Near Denison, TX | 3,202.78 Mm³ | September 1993 | 1943–1993 | 600 |
| Flaming Gorge Reservoir | 3,130.33 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1962–2026 | 766 |
| Shasta Lake | 3,119.54 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1944–2026 | 993 |
| Trinity Lake | 2,127.03 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1962–2026 | 767 |
| Lake Mohave | 2,051.75 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1950–2026 | 920 |
| Lake Mohave At Davis Dam, Az-NV | 1,982.70 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1950–2026 | 920 |
| Don Pedro Res Nr La Grange CA | 1,933.36 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1930–2026 | 1,152 |
| New Melones Lake | 1,908.48 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1943–2026 | 996 |
| Canyon Ferry Lake | 1,878.21 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1953–2026 | 882 |
| Lake Berryessa | 1,675.47 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1957–2026 | 837 |
| Lake O' The Cherokees At Langley, OK | 1,644.23 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1940–2026 | 1,014 |
| Navajo Reservoir Nr Archuleta, NM | 1,600.85 Mm³ | September 2017 | 1965–2017 | 624 |
| Brownlee Res At Brownlee Dam Id-Or State Line | 1,359.30 Mm³ | September 2005 | 1958–2005 | 566 |
| Utah Lake | 1,031.84 Mm³ | May 2020 | 1932–2020 | 1,061 |
| Navajo Reservoir | 975.88 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1962–2026 | 771 |
| Banks Lake | 844.10 Mm³ | April 2026 | 1952–2026 | 786 |
| Lk Mcclure A Exchequer CA | 816.80 Mm³ | September 2025 | 1930–2025 | 1,131 |
| Lewisville Lk Nr Lewisville, TX | 789.32 Mm³ | June 2001 | 1954–2001 | 560 |
| Lake Havasu Near Parker Dam, Az-CA | 704.05 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1938–2026 | 1,059 |
| Cascade Res At Cascade ID | 692.92 Mm³ | September 1996 | 1959–1996 | 441 |
| Lake Havasu | 641.29 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1938–2026 | 1,037 |
| Boysen Reservoir | 608.28 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1951–2026 | 900 |
| Buffalo Bill Reservoir | 568.81 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1951–2026 | 900 |
| Folsom Lake | 545.74 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1955–2026 | 835 |
| Belton Lk Nr Belton, TX | 538.97 Mm³ | January 2004 | 1954–2004 | 599 |
| Milford Lake Nr Junction City, KS | 494.87 Mm³ | September 2026 | 2002–2026 | 253 |
| Lake Cascade | 456.20 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1948–2026 | 926 |
| Hetch Hetchy Res A Hetch Hetchy CA | 367.46 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1930–2026 | 873 |
| Millerton Lk A Friant CA | 356.57 Mm³ | September 2022 | 1941–2022 | 968 |
| Lake Granby | 346.37 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1953–2026 | 813 |
| Fontenelle Reservoir | 344.73 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1965–2026 | 731 |
| Seminoe Reservoir | 308.62 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1945–2026 | 972 |
| Anderson Ranch Reservoir | 295.48 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1946–2026 | 937 |
| Whiskeytown Lake | 293.34 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1963–2026 | 755 |
| Millerton Lake | 286.12 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1944–2026 | 991 |
| Lake Hudson Near Locust Grove, OK | 266.01 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1989–2026 | 395 |
| Alder Reservoir At Alder, WA | 226.87 Mm³ | August 2026 | 1965–2026 | 730 |
| Alcova Reservoir | 223.09 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1945–2026 | 972 |
| Pathfinder Reservoir | 219.22 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1945–2026 | 972 |
| Ute Reservoir Near Logan, NM | 218.44 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1974–2026 | 541 |
| Arrowrock Res At Arrowrock Dam ID | 215.00 Mm³ | September 1986 | 1917–1986 | 828 |
| Cachuma Lake | 206.78 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1952–2026 | 886 |
| Harlan County Lake Near Republican City, Nebr. | 203.64 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1965–2026 | 625 |
| Jackson Lake Near Moran, WY | 199.12 Mm³ | September 1985 | 1937–1985 | 516 |
| Blue Mesa Reservoir | 188.94 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1968–2026 | 694 |
| Lk Brownwood Nr Brownwood, TX | 177.26 Mm³ | September 1986 | 1933–1986 | 581 |
| Bartlett Reservoir At Bartlett Dam, AZ | 174.42 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1974–2026 | 624 |
| Deer Creek Reservoir Near Charleston, Utah | 169.97 Mm³ | September 1965 | 1941–1965 | 293 |
| Lake Lowell Nr Caldwell ID | 167.30 Mm³ | September 1965 | 1917–1965 | 576 |
| Lk Kemp Nr Mabelle, TX | 165.75 Mm³ | February 2002 | 1949–2002 | 605 |
| Conchas Lake At Conchas Dam N. Mex. | 164.83 Mm³ | May 2017 | 1965–2017 | 620 |
| Palisades Reservoir | 158.56 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1956–2026 | 838 |
| Sevier Bridge Reservoir Near Juab, UT | 153.60 Mm³ | April 1992 | 1920–1992 | 812 |
| Rimrock Lake | 143.90 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1925–2026 | 1,217 |
| Lake Owyhee | 140.10 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1938–2026 | 1,053 |
| Morrow Point Reservoir | 140.00 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1970–2026 | 670 |
| Lake Lowell (Reclamation) | 135.15 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1950–2026 | 912 |
| Jackson Lake And Jackson Lake | 134.56 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1909–2026 | 1,404 |
| Atoka Reservoir Near Stringtown, OK | 125.83 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1999–2026 | 324 |
| Kachess Lake | 123.52 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1905–2026 | 1,452 |
| Red Bluff Res Nr Orla, TX | 121.88 Mm³ | September 1993 | 1937–1993 | 668 |
| Shaver Lk Nr Big C CA | 114.75 Mm³ | September 2025 | 1927–2025 | 1,185 |
| Shadehill Reservoir | 113.20 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1951–2026 | 900 |
| Lahontan Res Nr Fallon, NV | 112.44 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1960–2026 | 750 |
| Starvation Reservoir | 108.83 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1970–2026 | 675 |
| Lucky Peak Lake | 107.95 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1955–2026 | 857 |
| Pineview Reservoir Near Ogden, UT | 104.20 Mm³ | September 1965 | 1936–1965 | 345 |
| Stanley Draper Lake Near Oklahoma City, OK | 103.69 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1999–2026 | 324 |
| Fern Ridge Lake Near Elmira, OR | 102.77 Mm³ | September 1974 | 1941–1974 | 393 |
| Keyhole Reservoir | 102.71 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1951–2026 | 900 |
| Benbrook Lk Nr Benbrook, TX | 101.50 Mm³ | June 2001 | 1952–2001 | 585 |
| Bucks Lk Nr Bucks Lodge CA | 98.40 Mm³ | September 2025 | 1928–2025 | 1,164 |
| Swanson Lake Near Trenton, Nebr. | 96.85 Mm³ | September 1994 | 1965–1994 | 348 |
| Arrowrock Reservoir | 89.58 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1917–2026 | 1,308 |
| Deer Creek Reservoir | 89.34 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1950–2026 | 921 |
| American Falls Reservoir | 89.09 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1925–2026 | 1,212 |
| Deadwood Reservoir | 87.13 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1931–2026 | 1,149 |
| Huntington Lk Nr Big Creek CA | 85.29 Mm³ | September 2025 | 1926–2025 | 1,188 |
| Lake Walcott | 80.08 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1917–2026 | 1,305 |
| Ridgway Reservoir Near Ridgway, CO | 78.96 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1990–2026 | 264 |
| Lake Eucha Near Eucha, OK | 74.66 Mm³ | September 2026 | 2001–2026 | 300 |
| Clear Lake Reservoir East Lobe | 72.60 Mm³ | September 2014 | 1986–2014 | 260 |
| Nelson Reservoir | 70.93 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1980–2026 | 521 |
| Lake Hefner At Oklahoma City, OK | 68.08 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1999–2026 | 322 |
| Lk Kickapoo Nr Archer City, TX | 67.07 Mm³ | September 1998 | 1946–1998 | 620 |
| B. A. Steinhagen Lk At Town Bluff, TX | 64.40 Mm³ | February 2002 | 1951–2002 | 607 |
| Angostura Reservoir | 64.10 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1951–2026 | 900 |
| Taylor Park Reservoir | 62.24 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1958–2026 | 816 |
| Potholes Reservoir | 61.98 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1953–2026 | 806 |
| Cochiti Lake Near Cochiti Pueblo, NM | 58.94 Mm³ | September 2017 | 1973–2017 | 537 |
| Dorena Lake Near Cottage Grove, OR | 57.73 Mm³ | September 1974 | 1949–1974 | 300 |
| Lake Tschida | 56.90 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1949–2026 | 924 |
| Lake Lawtonka Near Lawton, OK | 53.45 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1994–2026 | 276 |
| Fresno Reservoir | 52.83 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1947–2026 | 948 |
| Swanson Lake | 51.88 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1953–2026 | 874 |
| Wickiup Reservoir | 41.92 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1983–2026 | 525 |
| Crane Prairie Reservoir | 40.94 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1922–2026 | 564 |
| Vallecito Reservoir | 40.71 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1941–2026 | 1,025 |
| Cle Elum Lake | 39.36 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1906–2026 | 1,440 |
| Lake Altus At Lugert, OK | 39.12 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1988–2026 | 443 |
| John Martin Reservoir At Caddoa, CO | 39.10 Mm³ | October 2020 | 1977–2020 | 517 |
| Gerber Reservoir | 38.92 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1986–2026 | 402 |
| Elephant Butte Reservoir | 38.47 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1915–2026 | 1,338 |
| Milner Lake At Milner Dam ID | 38.45 Mm³ | February 2017 | 1978–2017 | 448 |
| Hugh Butler Lake Near Mc Cook, Nebr. | 38.18 Mm³ | September 1994 | 1965–1994 | 348 |
| Howard Prairie Lake | 38.02 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1966–2026 | 725 |
| Lk Pillsbury Nr Potter Valley CA | 36.42 Mm³ | September 2025 | 1928–2025 | 1,100 |
| Lake Sumner Nr Fort Sumner, NM | 35.35 Mm³ | January 2017 | 1965–2017 | 615 |
| Jamestown Reservoir | 34.67 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1953–2026 | 876 |
| Rockport Reservoir Near Wanship, UT | 33.98 Mm³ | September 1990 | 1960–1990 | 360 |
| Florence Lk Nr Big C CA | 31.75 Mm³ | September 2025 | 1925–2025 | 1,197 |
| Payette Lake And Payette Lake | 31.19 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1943–2026 | 996 |
| East Canyon Reservoir | 30.57 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1983–2026 | 444 |
| Pilot Butte Reservoir | 29.96 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1968–2026 | 696 |
| Horseshoe Reservoir At Horseshoe Dam, AZ | 29.55 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1974–2026 | 624 |
| Scofield Reservoir | 29.54 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1982–2026 | 504 |
| Island Park Reservoir | 29.37 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1938–2026 | 1,054 |
| Big Sandy Reservoir Near Farson, WY | 29.13 Mm³ | November 2024 | 1987–2024 | 447 |
| Wild Horse Res Nr Gold Cr, NV | 28.97 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1980–2026 | 345 |
| Topaz Lake Nr Topaz, CA | 28.29 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1987–2026 | 468 |
| Joes Valley Reservoir | 27.80 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1970–2026 | 390 |
| Echo Reservoir | 27.09 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1967–2026 | 715 |
| Keswick Reservoir | 26.42 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1974–2026 | 624 |
| Wolford Mtn Reservoir Nr Kremmling, CO | 26.10 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1998–2026 | 261 |
| Eagle Nest Lake Nr Eagle Nest, NM | 25.84 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1987–2026 | 470 |
| Rockport Reservoir | 25.12 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1968–2026 | 691 |
| Lk Eleanor Nr Hetch Hetchy CA | 24.07 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1918–2026 | 1,133 |
| Harry Strunk Lake Near Cambridge, Nebr. | 23.79 Mm³ | September 1994 | 1965–1994 | 348 |
| Green Mountain Reservoir | 23.66 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1945–2026 | 905 |
| Trinidad Lake Near Trinidad, Co. | 23.02 Mm³ | October 2019 | 1989–2019 | 361 |
| Lk Arlington At Arlington, TX | 22.65 Mm³ | September 1998 | 1957–1998 | 498 |
| Cottage Grove Lake Nr Cottage Grove, OR | 21.13 Mm³ | September 1974 | 1942–1974 | 384 |
| Shadow Mountain Lake | 20.88 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1953–2026 | 793 |
| Lk Colorado City Nr Colorado City, TX | 20.78 Mm³ | November 2002 | 1949–2002 | 632 |
| Caballo Reservoir | 20.25 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1938–2026 | 1,064 |
| Lake Ellsworth Near Elgin, OK | 19.96 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1995–2026 | 372 |
| Harry Strunk Lake | 19.94 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1949–2026 | 922 |
| Lemon Reservoir Near Durango CO | 17.97 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1990–2026 | 207 |
| Lake Sherburne | 17.77 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1924–2026 | 1,224 |
| Lewiston Lake | 17.44 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1964–2026 | 750 |
| Deerfield Reservoir | 17.40 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1952–2026 | 888 |
| Lemon Reservoir (Reclamation) | 16.40 Mm³ | August 2026 | 1964–2026 | 752 |
| Keechelus Lake | 15.37 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1906–2026 | 1,449 |
| Scofield Reservoir Near Scofield, UT | 14.97 Mm³ | September 2003 | 1942–2003 | 656 |
| Echo Reservoir At Echo, UT | 14.84 Mm³ | September 1990 | 1930–1990 | 719 |
| Bumping Lake And Bumping Lake | 14.73 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1912–2026 | 1,377 |
| Rye Patch Res Nr Rye Patch, NV | 13.25 Mm³ | August 2021 | 1936–2021 | 819 |
| Enders Reservoir Near Enders, Nebr. | 13.23 Mm³ | September 2006 | 1960–2006 | 553 |
| Lake Overholser Near Oklahoma City, OK | 12.28 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1999–2026 | 322 |
| Crescent Lake And Crescent Lake | 11.53 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1928–2026 | 526 |
| Lk Nasworthy Nr San Angelo, TX | 11.07 Mm³ | September 2001 | 1930–2001 | 855 |
| Ochoco Reservoir | 11.06 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1969–2026 | 519 |
| Gibson Reservoir | 10.19 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1930–2026 | 1,161 |
| Enders Reservoir | 9.59 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1951–2026 | 900 |
| Lake Natoma | 9.22 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1975–2026 | 612 |
| Willow Creek Reservoir | 8.87 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1953–2026 | 797 |
| Cragin Dam Reservoir Near Pine, Az (Blue Ridge) | 8.43 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1965–2026 | 649 |
| Piute Reservoir Near Marysvale, UT | 7.49 Mm³ | September 1975 | 1914–1975 | 703 |
| Edward Arthur Patterson Lake | 7.23 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1951–2026 | 900 |
| Hyatt Reservoir | 6.69 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1966–2026 | 719 |
| Weber Res Nr Schurz, NV | 6.33 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1995–2026 | 361 |
| Marlette Lake Nr Carson City, NV | 6.19 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1974–2026 | 623 |
| Big Sandy Reservoir | 5.84 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1970–2026 | 469 |
| San Carlos Reservoir At Coolidge Dam, AZ | 5.67 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1982–2026 | 528 |
| Jackson Gulch Reservoir | 5.22 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1960–2026 | 750 |
| Lake Sumner | 4.67 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1965–2026 | 730 |
| Avalon Reservoir | 4.40 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1965–2026 | 715 |
| Lake Maloya Nr Raton NM | 4.21 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1987–2026 | 467 |
| Eden Reservoir | 3.77 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1983–2026 | 202 |
| Lake Avalon Nr Carlsbad N Mex | 3.39 Mm³ | March 2017 | 1965–2017 | 602 |
| Hords Ck Lk Nr Valera, TX | 3.22 Mm³ | November 2002 | 1948–2002 | 643 |
| Spring Creek Reservoir | 2.49 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1963–2026 | 756 |
| Fourmile Lake And Fourmile Lake | 1.36 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1991–2026 | 418 |
| Silver Jack Reservoir Near Cimarron, CO | 1.26 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1987–2026 | 232 |
| Silver Jack Reservoir | 1.25 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1975–2026 | 445 |
| Nambe Falls Reservoir Near Nambe, NM | 1.17 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1984–2026 | 513 |
| Mcclure Reservoir Near Santa Fe N Mex | 0.58 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1965–2026 | 732 |
| Mackay Res Nr Mackay ID | 0.43 Mm³ | September 1959 | 1930–1959 | 348 |
| Nichols Reservoir Near Santa Fe N Mex | 0.42 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1965–2026 | 552 |
| Paonia Reservoir Near Bardine, CO | 0.32 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1987–2026 | 235 |
| Teller Reservoir Near Stone City, Co. | 0.04 Mm³ | July 2018 | 1978–2018 | 416 |
| Mud Mountain Lake Near Buckley, WA | 0.02 Mm³ | September 2026 | 1982–2026 | 521 |
| Jemez Canyon Res Nr Bernalillo N M | 0.00 Mm³ | August 2015 | 1965–2015 | 512 |