Glossary
USBR
USBR logoThe Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) designs, operates, and reports data for many western reservoirs—storage, deliveries, and published pool information tied to congressional authorizations.
Published May 16, 2026 · Editorial standards
Why it matters on the water
From Colorado River storage to Pacific Northwest irrigation projects, USBR sets seasonal targets, minimum pools, and flood space rules that show up as operating bands on charts. Boaters and irrigators both read the same published stage—often with project-specific datums and footages.
USBR vs other federal operators
| Agency | Geography / role |
|---|---|
| USBR | Reclamation projects—especially West; storage & deliveries |
| USACE | Flood control & navigation reservoirs—especially East/Central |
| USGS | Hydrologic monitoring on many connected streams |
On real lakes
Related lake intelligence
Lake Nacimiento
/lakes/nacimiento
Explore Lake Nacimiento for live levels, pool context, and lake intelligence on Lake Insights. Published levels use NGVD29 relative to MSL unless the lake page notes otherwise.
Related lake intelligence
Choke Canyon Reservoir
/lakes/choke-canyon
Explore Choke Canyon Reservoir for live levels, pool context, and lake intelligence on Lake Insights. Published levels use NGVD29 relative to MSL unless the lake page notes otherwise.
Related lake intelligence
Great Falls Lake
/lakes/great-falls-sc
Explore Great Falls Lake for live levels, pool context, and lake intelligence on Lake Insights. Published levels use Duke full-pond gauge (100.0 = full pond) unless the lake page notes otherwise.
- Does Lake Insights cover USBR lakes?
Where catalog metadata and live feeds include a Reclamation project, lake pages show stage, thresholds, and source attribution like other federal reservoirs.
Reference information only. See data sources, editorial standards, or suggest a correction.