Dead Pool, Explained — With Today's Distances
The elevation below which a dam can no longer release water by gravity, and where each tracked reservoir stands.
- Dead pool is the reservoir elevation below which water can no longer flow downstream through the dam by gravity — the remaining water is physically stranded below the lowest outlet.
- Dead pool at Lake Mead is 895 feet. As of , at 1,041.38 feet, Lake Mead is 146.4 feet above dead pool.
- Dead pool at Lake Powell is 3,370 feet; Lake Powell is 153.2 feet above it.
What dead pool means (and doesn't)
At dead pool the reservoir still holds water — it just can't be released downstream through the dam's outlets. For Lake Mead (895 ft), that would mean no gravity deliveries to Arizona, California, Nevada, or Mexico through Hoover Dam. Dead pool is below minimum power pool, the level where hydropower generation stops — see minimum power pool. Between the two, water can still be released but generates no power (the "inactive pool").
Dead pool elevations and today's distance
| Reservoir | Dead pool (ft) | Elevation today (ft) | Above dead pool | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Mead | 895.00 | 1,041.38 | 146.4 ft | NPS / Reclamation |
| Lake Powell | 3,370.00 | 3,523.15 | 153.2 ft | Reclamation |
| Lake Travis | 535.75 | 682.31 | 146.6 ft | TWDB rating metadata |
| Canyon Lake | 775.00 | 909.60 | 134.6 ft | TWDB rating metadata |
| Amistad Reservoir | 930.00 | 1,056.29 | 126.3 ft | TWDB rating metadata |
Distances use each reservoir's latest daily reading (dates on the linked pages). TWDB publishes dead-pool elevations in its per-reservoir rating metadata; not every reservoir tracked here has a published dead-pool figure.
Related
Minimum power pool · The Lake Mead bathtub ring · USBR 24-Month Study projections · Shortage tiers