Glossary

USBR

USBR logoUSBR logo

The 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

AgencyGeography / role
USBRReclamation projects—especially West; storage & deliveries
USACEFlood control & navigation reservoirs—especially East/Central
USGSHydrologic monitoring on many connected streams

On real lakes

Related lake intelligence

Lake Wenatchee

/lakes/wenatchee-lake

Explore Lake Wenatchee for live levels, pool context, and lake intelligence on Lake Insights.

Related lake intelligence

Oologah Lake

/lakes/oologah

Explore Oologah Lake 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

Lake Eufaula

/lakes/eufaula-ok

Explore Lake Eufaula for live levels, pool context, and lake intelligence on Lake Insights. Published levels use NGVD29 relative to MSL 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.

Related terms: Reservoir · Full pool · Gauge · USGS

Reference information only. See data sources, editorial standards, or suggest a correction.

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