Nacimiento reservoir
Nacimiento
Nacimiento Reservoir is located in Monterey County, California and was formed by the Nacimiento Dam in 1957. The reservoir has a capacity of 377,900 acre-feet and serves primarily as a water source for the Salinas Valley, which is an important agricultural region in California. The reservoir's hydrology is primarily fed by surface flow from the Nacimiento River, as well as snowpack melt from the surrounding Santa Lucia Mountains. The reservoir is also used for recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and camping. The surrounding terrain provides ample opportunities for hiking and wildlife viewing. The reservoir is managed by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency and is an important source of water for the region's agriculture and urban needs.
Daily levels at Nacimiento
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 Nacimiento -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Nacimiento R Bl Nacimiento Dam Nr Bradley Ca | 261 cfs | → |
| Salinas R Nr Bradley Ca | 356 cfs | → |
| Nacimiento R Bl Sapaque C Nr Bryson Ca | 5 cfs | → |
| Estrella R Nr Estrella Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| Salinas R A Paso Robles Ca | 2 cfs | → |
| San Antonio R Nr Lockwood Ca | · | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Nacimiento.
Boat launches
- Resort Drive San Luis Obispo County
- Resort Drive, Paso Robles
- Village Road San Luis Obispo County
- Lynch Road, Bradley
- Saddle Way San Luis Obispo County
- Mistletoe Lane San Luis Obispo County
Campgrounds
- Lake Nacimiento
- Quails Roost Campground
- Oak Knoll Campground
- Eagles Ridge Campground
- Pine Knoll Campground
- South Shore San Antonio
Fishing spots
- Nacimiento Lake
- Lake Nacimiento
- Lake San Antonio
- Barney Schwartz Park Lake
- Franklin Hot Springs
- Whale Rock Reservoir
Paddle runs
Track Nacimiento 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 Nacimiento
Where does the data for Nacimiento 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 Nacimiento.