296.66 ft
FallingClear · 0 mph N
Good
Best window: 4:25 PM–5:25 PM
Level 2 hours ago · Weather 55 minutes ago · LAUREL/NOBLE FIELD
Ross Barnett Reservoir is managed by Pearl River Valley Water Supply District. Lake Insights displays its latest available elevation from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Published reference elevations are listed below.
1.34 feet below full pool
−1.34 ft vs full pool
Ross Barnett Reservoir is currently 1.34 feet below full pool and has fallen slightly over the past week. Readings show continued drawdown relative to full pool, with levels trending lower over the past week.
Smith County, MS · surrounding county from lake location
Moderate Drought
Moderate drought is affecting the watershed.
Severity
Weekly trend
Stable
Compared with last week
Official drought
Yes
54.5% of the watershed is currently classified as official drought (D1+).
Expected impacts
U.S. Drought Monitor · map date Sep 29, 2026. Updated weekly. droughtmonitor.unl.eduView drought map for Smith County, MS
Managing authority
Waterbody / project type
Full pool
General factors for reservoirs like this
These are common influences for this type of lake. They do not identify the cause of a specific current change unless an operator update confirms it.
Rainfall & inflows
Rain and upstream river inflows can raise reservoir levels, especially after storms.
Downstream releases
When an operator releases water through a dam, reservoir storage can fall and downstream flows can rise.
Published reference elevation. Not necessarily a fixed year-round target for every project.
A winter / seasonal pool elevation is published, but Lake Insights does not have verified seasonal operating dates for this lake.
Managing authority: Pearl River Valley Water Supply District
Observation source used by Lake Insights: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Who manages the lake and who publishes the reading Lake Insights displays can differ. Lake Insights does not invent a source label from the managing authority alone.
Shared background — not lake-specific facts
Lake Insights aggregates water level information from authoritative public sources such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, TVA, Bureau of Reclamation, power utilities, and other official lake operators. We preserve historical observations, calculate trends, and present lake conditions in a consistent format. For U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), we link to the official source whenever it is available. Lake Insights does not predict future lake levels unless an official forecast has been published by the managing authority.
Winter pool
Current-level source
Flood-risk operations
Some projects store or release water under flood-risk rules when conditions require it.
Water supply
Some reservoirs support municipal, industrial, irrigation, or regional water-supply needs.
Hydropower
Hydropower projects may pass water through turbines when generating electricity.
Seasonal weather
Dry periods, heat, evaporation, and seasonal rainfall patterns can affect storage over weeks and months.