Cachuma Lake reservoir
Cachuma Lake
Cachuma Lake is a man-made reservoir located in Santa Barbara County, California. It was created in 1953 by the construction of Bradbury Dam on the Santa Ynez River. The lake primarily serves as a water supply for the Santa Ynez Valley, including the city of Santa Barbara. The hydrology of the lake is heavily influenced by rainfall and the surrounding mountains, which provide surface flow and snowpack. The lake also receives water from the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project. Agricultural uses in the Santa Ynez Valley rely heavily on the water supply from Cachuma Lake. The lake is also a popular recreational destination, offering camping, fishing, boating, and hiking opportunities.
Daily levels at Cachuma Lake
Storage volume, pool elevation, and total release plotted from the operating agency's daily observations.
Storage
acre-ft · code 2
Pool Elevation
ft · code 1
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Cachuma Lake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Cyn C 0.25 Mi Bl Bradbury Dam Nr Santa Ynez | 7 cfs | → |
| Hilton Cyn C Nr Santa Ynez Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| Santa Ynez R Nr Santa Ynez Ca | 12 cfs | → |
| Santa Cruz C Nr Santa Ynez Ca | 10 cfs | → |
| Santa Ynez R Bl Los Laurls Cyn Nr Snta Ynez Ca | 8 cfs | → |
| Alamo Pintado C Nr Solvang Ca | · | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cachuma Lake.
Track Cachuma Lake in the Snoflo app
Save this reservoir as a favorite and set push alerts when storage crosses a threshold (e.g. "alert me at 80% of normal").
About Cachuma Lake
Where does the data for Cachuma Lake come from?
Daily storage, pool elevation, and release rates are sourced from USGS, USBR, and USACE monitoring stations. Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
Storage observations are updated daily by the operating agency. The 15-day weather forecast refreshes throughout the day. Snoflo caches and renders the most recent observation -- check the "as of" timestamp on the storage card.
What does the Hazard hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this reservoir, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Cachuma Lake.