El Capitan Dam reservoir
El Capitan Dam
El Capitan Dam, located in San Diego County, California, was built in the 1930s as a hydroelectric facility. It is a concrete gravity dam that stands at 237 feet tall and 1,600 feet long. The dam serves as a surface water storage facility that can hold up to 112,800 acre-feet of water. The hydrology surrounding the dam is primarily fed by the San Diego River, which is reliant on snowpack melt from surrounding mountains. The dam provides water to the San Diego County Water Authority, which serves over 3.3 million residents. Additionally, the water is used for recreational purposes such as fishing, boating, and camping. The surrounding agricultural community also benefits from the water supply provided by the dam.
Daily levels at El Capitan Dam
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 El Capitan Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Los Coches C Nr Lakeside Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| Sweetwater R A Dehesa Ca | · | → |
| Sweetwater R Nr Descanso Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| San Diego R A Mast Rd Nr Santee Ca | 7 cfs | → |
| Santa Maria C Nr Ramona Ca | · | → |
| Santa Ysabel C Nr Ramona Ca | 0 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near El Capitan Dam.
Boat launches
- Sutherland Dam Road 21568-21722, Ramona
- 2315-2351 Barrett Lake Rd, California
- Lake Miramar
- San Diego County
- Lake Hodges Boat Launching Area
- Mission Bay Drive San Diego
Campgrounds
- Lake Jennings
- Dos Picos
- Santee Lakes Regional Park
- Green Valley - Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
- Green Valley Campground
- Paso Picacho - Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Fishing spots
- El Capitan Reservoir
- Jennings Lake
- San Vicente Reservoir
- Murray Reservoir
- Cuyamaca Lake
- Barrett Lake (San Diego City)
Paddle runs
- Crouch Ranch To Morena Reservoir
- Forest Boundary, Above Zoo Creek Below Spillway (S1/2, Sec 3, T11s, R2e) To La Jolla Indian Reservation Boundary (N1/2, Sec 31, T10s, R2e)
- Confluence Of Fry And Iron Spring Creeks (E1/2, Sec 3, T10s,R1e To Se1/4 Sec 16, T10s, R2e
- Cañon La Presa (Valle Las Palma To Presa Rodriguez)
- Santa Margarita River
Track El Capitan Dam 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 El Capitan Dam
Where does the data for El Capitan Dam 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 El Capitan Dam.