473.32 ft USACE project datum (ft msl)
level 1.7 ft below full pool — on the low side for mid-August
Reading comes straight from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (USGS gauge 02188100) and updates live when you load this page.
Richard B. Russell Lake through the year
The band is the lake's own normal: where the level has run on each calendar day, 2004–2026. The summer drawdown — and how this year sits in it — shows up without reading a single number.
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.
- 2020 (wettest on record)
- 2009 (driest on record)
- 2025 (last year)
- 2026 (this year)
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 | 475.00 ft USACE project datum (ft msl) · per USACE Savannah District full-pool reference |
|---|---|
| Gauge | USGS gauge 02188100 · U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System |
| Datum | USACE project datum (ft msl) — CWMS Top of Conservation constant 475.0 ft. |
| Last verified | August 15, 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 Richard B. Russell Lake right now?
Richard B. Russell Lake is at 473.32 ft (USACE project datum (ft msl)) as of August 14, 2026 — 1.7 ft below full pool — on the low side for mid-August
Is Richard B. Russell Lake full?
Not quite — at 473.32 ft, Richard B. Russell Lake is 1.7 ft below its full pool of 475.00 ft (USACE project datum (ft msl)).
What is full pool for Richard B. Russell Lake?
Full pool (the conservation pool) for Richard B. Russell Lake is 475.00 ft USACE project datum (ft msl), per USACE Savannah District full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.