California · City of Santa Barbara

Gibraltar Reservoir water level

Today's reading against full pool and Gibraltar Reservoir's own seasonal history.

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Elevation, feet (NGVD29)

as of August 20, 2026

1383.46 ft NGVD29

level Reading is typical for mid-August.

Reading comes straight from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (USGS gauge 11122000) and updates live when you load this page.


Gibraltar Reservoir through the year

The band is the lake's own normal: where the level has run on each calendar day, 1988–2026. The summer drawdown — and how this year sits in it — shows up without reading a single number.

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Median and normal range by day of year, 1988–2026 · elevation, feet (NGVD29)

This year vs the years that matter

This year's trace against last year and the driest and wettest years on record — the drought-context question every lake regular asks.

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 JFMAMJJASOND
  • 2026 (this year)
  • 2025 (last year)
  • 1998 (wettest on record)
  • 1991 (driest on record)

Full pool, datum, and the gauge

"Full pool" here means the conservation pool — the level the lake is designed to hold for water supply and recreation, not the flood-control space above it. The full explainer covers flood pool and dead pool too.

Full pool not published by the operator
Gauge USGS gauge 11122000 · U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System
Datum NGVD29
Last verified August 20, 2026

LakeDates reports lake level, not ramp status. Whether a given ramp or marina is usable at this level varies ramp by ramp — call the marina before you tow.

Quick answers

How full is Gibraltar Reservoir right now?

Gibraltar Reservoir is at 1383.46 ft (NGVD29) as of August 20, 2026 — Reading is typical for mid-August.

Is Gibraltar Reservoir full?

City of Santa Barbara doesn't publish a conservation-pool figure for Gibraltar Reservoir, so this page shows the reading against the lake's own seasonal history instead.

What is full pool for Gibraltar Reservoir?

City of Santa Barbara doesn't publish a single conservation-pool elevation for Gibraltar Reservoir. The seasonal chart shows the range the lake actually runs instead.