Pineview Reservoir Water Level
Pineview Reservoir is at 4,832.30 ft (last reported Oct 24), 67.70 ft below its 4,900 ft full pool.
Utah · Ogden River
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Water level history
About Pineview Reservoir
Pineview Reservoir is a reservoir on the Ogden River in Utah, operated by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Its full summer pool sits at 4900 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Pineview Reservoir's water level
Pineview sits at the head of Ogden Canyon, where the North, South and Middle Forks of the Ogden River come together, draining 298 square miles of the Ogden Valley and the mountains around it. Reclamation built the dam between 1934 and 1937 as the core of the Ogden River Project, a New Deal job meant to settle years of fighting between Ogden and valley farmers who were pumping down the same groundwater. The original earthfill dam stood 103 feet and held 44,175 acre-feet. Under the Weber Basin Project, Utah Construction Company raised the crest to 137 feet, finishing in September 1957, which more than doubled storage to 110,150 acre-feet. The bigger pool threatened the Huntsville Cemetery and forced the Eden highway onto a new alignment. The Ogden River Water Users Association runs the dam, and the water goes out through the Ogden-Brigham and South Ogden Highline canals to nearly 25,000 irrigated acres, with supplemental municipal supply for Ogden.
The level follows the snow. In a normal year Pineview fills to about 4,900 feet in late spring or early summer, then irrigation deliveries pull it down through late summer and fall. In big snow years the allowed top of the conservation pool is set well below full in spring to leave room for runoff; in April 2023 that line sat near 4,818 feet, and the lake then climbed from about 4,856 feet in late April to 4,900.24 feet by June 21. The 2021 drought shows the other side: the lake never got above 4,882 feet that spring and was down to 4,852.9 feet by October 1. The highest reading in the gauge record since 2013 is 4,900.77 feet on June 2, 2024.
2026 is unlike any of those years. Utah had a record low statewide snowpack, and the Weber Ogden basin peaked at 10.6 inches of snow water equivalent, about half of median. Ogden City chose that year to drain the reservoir so crews could replace the section of its 6.4 mile drinking water pipeline that runs across the lakebed, a stretch about 55 years old that leaks roughly a million gallons a day. The $100 million project serves about 120,000 customers. Released water went to Willard Bay and elsewhere, and the plan called for less than 2 percent of capacity, about 2,000 acre-feet, by mid September. The gauge read 4,830.4 feet on September 22, the lowest in more than 50 years. Anderson Cove's ramp closed in July, Port Ramp was already shut for rebuilding, and the Weber County Sheriff has warned visitors not to touch objects turning up on the exposed bed.
Pineview Reservoir — frequently asked
Why is Pineview Reservoir so low in 2026?
It was drained on purpose. Ogden City is replacing the part of its main drinking water pipeline that crosses the reservoir bottom, and lowering the lake was faster and cheaper than working behind a cofferdam or with divers, which the engineers estimated would add about $6 million. A record low snowpack meant the lake would have been low anyway. Storage was taken down to under 2 percent of capacity, about 2,000 acre-feet, by mid September.
What is Pineview Reservoir's full pool?
About 4,900 feet above sea level, which is the summer top of conservation pool in the Reclamation data published through the Corps of Engineers water data system. At that level Pineview holds 110,150 acre-feet. The dam crest is at 4,908 feet, and a gated channel spillway rated at 10,000 cubic feet per second handles floods. In heavy snow years the allowed top of conservation is lowered in spring to make room for runoff.
When will Pineview refill after the pipeline project?
Ogden's public services director said the target for finishing the section across the reservoir bed is January 1, after which the lake can start filling. City officials said a normal water year can refill Pineview, and project staff said a slightly above average snow year would do it. The rate depends entirely on winter snow in the Ogden River watershed, and a Weber State climate scientist warned that more of the region's precipitation is now falling as rain.
What is the lowest Pineview Reservoir has been?
The drawdown in 2026 took the lake to its lowest point in more than 50 years, reaching 4,830.4 feet on September 22 and still falling. For comparison, the gauge record back to 2013 shows the next lowest point was 4,852.9 feet on October 1, 2021, during the drought. The 2026 figure reflects a deliberate drawdown for construction, not drought alone.
When was Pineview Dam built and raised?
Construction began September 29, 1934, with Utah Construction Company and Morrison Knudsen as primary contractors, and the earthfill dam was completed in June 1937 at 103 feet high. Utah Construction won the 1955 contract to enlarge it for the Weber Basin Project and finished raising the crest in September 1957, bringing the dam to 137 feet and capacity to 110,150 acre-feet. Work to protect the Huntsville Cemetery from the larger pool wrapped up in July 1957.
Can I launch a boat at Pineview right now?
Options are limited in 2026. The Forest Service closed the Anderson Cove boat launch on July 20 because of low water, and Port Ramp Marina is closed through 2026 for reconstruction. Cemetery Point's launch stayed open, with the Forest Service watching for a possible closure. Utah wildlife officials warned in July that the reservoir might not be boatable by the end of that month. Check the Ogden Ranger District at 385-405-7100 before towing.
What are the fishing limits at Pineview during the drawdown?
The Division of Wildlife Resources issued emergency changes from July 2 through December 31, 2026, to let anglers harvest fish that would otherwise die as the water shrinks. The limit is 12 largemouth and smallmouth bass combined, one tiger muskie over 40 inches, and no limit on other species. Pineview is known for tiger muskie; KSL reported in 2013 that the state's catch and release record at the time, 53 inches, came from here in 1998.
Other lakes near Pineview Reservoir
- Lake PowellUT/AZ
- Lost Creek ReservoirUT
- Red Fleet ReservoirUT
- Jordanelle ReservoirUT
- Rockport ReservoirUT
- Flaming Gorge ReservoirUT/WY
See current levels for all 10 Utah lakes and reservoirs →
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