Gibraltar Dam reservoir
Gibraltar Dam
Gibraltar Dam is a concrete gravity dam located in Santa Barbara County, California, built in 1920 for the purpose of water storage and hydroelectric power generation. The dam impounds the waters of the Gibraltar Reservoir, which is fed by runoff from the surrounding Santa Ynez Mountains and snowpack during winter months. The dam has a height of 171 feet and a length of 385 feet. It has a capacity of 4,554 acre-feet and can hold up to 147 million gallons of water. The reservoir serves as a source of water supply for the city of Santa Barbara and surrounding areas. It is also used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and hiking. The dam has undergone several upgrades and maintenance over the years to ensure its safety and reliability.
Daily levels at Gibraltar 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 Gibraltar Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ynez R Bl Gibraltar Dam Nr Snta Brb C Ca | 5 cfs | → |
| Gibraltar Dam Div Weir A Gibraltar Dam Ca | 13 cfs | → |
| Gibralter Dam Rel Wr A Gibralter Dam Ca | · | → |
| Mission C A Rnp A Santa Barbara Ca | · | → |
| Mission C Nr Mission St Nr Santa Barbara Ca | · | → |
| San Jose C Nr Goleta Ca | 1 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Gibraltar Dam.
⚓ Boat launches
More boat launches →⛺ Campgrounds
- Upper Oso
- Upper Oso Campground
- P-Bar Flat Campground
- Sage Hill Group Campground
- Middle Santa Ynez Campground
- Middle Santa Ynez
🎣 Fishing spots
More fishing →🛶 Paddle runs
- Chorro Grande Canyon To Section Line Dividing Sec 1, T5n, R23w And Sec 6, T5n, T22w
- Section Line To Confluence With Rock Creek
- Headwaters, Upper Piru Creek To Wildernes Boundary
- Wilderness Boundary To Confluence With Gold Hill Creek
- Confluence With Gold Hill Creek To Castaic
- Castaic To Pyramid Reservoir
🛡 More reservoirs
More reservoirs →Track Gibraltar 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 Gibraltar Dam
Where does the data for Gibraltar 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 Gibraltar Dam.