New Melones Reservoir reservoir
New Melones Reservoir
New Melones Reservoir is located in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, California. It was created in 1979 by the construction of the New Melones Dam on the Stanislaus River. The reservoir has a capacity of 2.4 million acre-feet and is an important source of water for hydroelectric power generation, agriculture, and recreation. The hydrology of the reservoir is influenced by the snowpack from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which provides water for the river and reservoir during the dry months. The surface flow providers for the reservoir include the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Calaveras rivers. The reservoir is used for irrigation of crops such as almonds, grapes, and citrus fruits, as well as for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and camping. The reservoir also provides habitat for various fish, including the endangered Chinook salmon and the steelhead trout.
Daily levels at New Melones Reservoir
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 New Melones Reservoir -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Black C Nr Copperopolis Ca | 1 cfs | → |
| Modesto Cn Nr La Grange Ca | 834 cfs | → |
| Big C Ab Whites Gulch Nr Groveland Ca | 1 cfs | → |
| Tuolumne R Bl Lagrange Dam Nr Lagrange Ca | 186 cfs | → |
| Turlock Cn Nr La Grange Ca | 912 cfs | → |
| Cherry C Bl Dion R Holm Ph | 1,620 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near New Melones Reservoir.
Boat launches
Campgrounds
- Acorn - Tuttletown Area - New Melones Lake
- Manzanita - Tuttletown Area - New Melones Lake
- Chamise - Tuttletown Area - New Melones Lake
- Ironhorse- Glory Hole Area - New Melones Lake
- Tuttletown Rec Area - Chamise
- Big Oak - Glory Hole Area - New Melones Lake
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Confluence With North Fork And Middle Fork Stanislaus To Clark Flat
- Sandbar To Confluence With North Fork Stanislaus River
- Clavey River From Cottonwood Road To Confluence With Tuolumne
- Below Mckay's Reservoir To Confluence With Middle Fork Stanislaus River
- One Mile Downstream Of State Park Boundary In Sec 24, T5n, R15e To Mckay's Reservoir
- Calaveras Big Trees State Park Boundary In Sec 24, T5n, R15e To One Mile Downstream Of State Park Boundary In Sec 24, T5n, R15e
Track New Melones Reservoir 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 New Melones Reservoir
Where does the data for New Melones Reservoir 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 New Melones Reservoir.