Beaver Lake level today

Beaver Lake is at 1,111.38 feet, 9.05 feet below its normal pool of 1,120.43 feet. It has dropped 0.05 feet in the last 24 hours.

Level now
1,111.38 ft
Vs. normal pool
9.0 ft low
Last 24 hours
−0.05 ft
Last 7 days
−0.27 ft
Water below the dam
48.7°F
Below top of flood pool
18.6 ft

Last 30 days

1,120.41,111.4Normal 1,120.4Oct 11Nov 10
Daily level in feet above sea level. The dashed line is today's normal pool.

Next few days

The Corps of Engineers' forecast for the lake and its planned releases through Beaver Dam into the White River.

DayForecast level (ft)Planned release (cfs, daily average)
Tue, Nov 101,111.5020
Wed, Nov 111,111.40600
Thu, Nov 121,111.40200
Fri, Nov 13—200
Sat, Nov 14—200
Sun, Nov 15—200

Forecasts change with rain and power demand. The Corps updates them daily.

Beaver Dam generation schedule

When the dam's turbines run, water pours into the White River and the river below rises fast. Here is the Southwestern Power Administration's projected schedule.

Tuesday, Nov 10

midnight6 a.m.noon6 p.m.midnight

4 p.m. to 6 p.m., up to 96 MW (about 6,600 cfs).

Last reported hour (ending 9 a.m.): no generation, per the Corps.

Schedules change without notice. Flow in cfs is estimated from Beaver's full-power discharge of 8,800 cfs at 128 MW. See all Ozarks dam schedules.

Pool levels

Level now1,111.38 ft
Normal pool (today)1,120.43 ft
Top of flood pool1,130 ft
DamBeaver Dam, White River
Managed byU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District

The Corps sets the normal pool by season, and this is today's target.

What the number means

Lake levels are feet above sea level, measured at the dam. Beaver Lake sits behind Beaver Dam on the White River, near Rogers and Eureka Springs.

A lake a few feet under normal pool is common in fall and winter. It shows up first at boat ramps with short concrete, in the shallow backs of coves, and at docks close to shore, so look at the ramp before you back the trailer down.

When the lake rises above normal pool, the extra water is flood storage. The Corps lets it out through the dam over days or weeks, so the river below the dam can run high long after the rain stops.

Questions

What is the normal pool at Beaver Lake?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District, sets the top of the conservation pool (normal pool) by season. Today's target is 1,120.43 feet above sea level.

Where does this number come from?

The National Weather Service gauge at Beaver Dam, which reports the lake's surface elevation every hour. We read it every hour.

How high can Beaver Lake get?

The top of the flood control pool is 1,130 feet. Water stored between normal pool and that line is released over the following weeks.

When is Beaver Dam generating today?

Southwestern Power Administration's projected schedule for Nov 10: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., up to 96 MW (about 6,600 cfs). Schedules can change without notice.

Is the lake low right now?

Beaver Lake is 9.05 feet below normal pool as of 9:00 am, Nov 10.

Sources

Gauge readings are provisional. This page is independent and not affiliated with the agencies that run the gauges or the dam.