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USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
10337000 Lake Tahoe at Tahoe City, CA
LOCATION - Lat 39°10'51", long 120°07'06" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in NE 1/4 NE 1/4 sec.05, T.15 N., R.17 E., Placer County, CA, Hydrologic Unit 16050101, on U.S. Coast Guard pier at Lake Forest, 1.1 mi northeast of Tahoe City, and 1.8 mi northeast of Lake Tahoe outlet dam on Truckee River, at Tahoe City.
DRAINAGE AREA - 506 mi². at lake outlet.
REVISIONS HISTORY - WDR CA-78-3: Drainage area.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - April 1900 to current year. Monthend elevations only prior to October 1957, published in WSP 1734. Prior to October 1961, published as "at Tahoe."
CHEMICAL DATA: Water year 1969, bimonthly; 1978, biannually; 1979, annually.
CHEMICAL DATA: Water year 1969, bimonthly; 1978, biannually; 1979, annually.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 6,220.00 ft above U.S. Bureau of Reclamation datum, 6,218.86 ft above the NGVD of 1929, and 6222.90 ft above NAVD of 1988. Prior to Oct. 1, 1957, nonrecording gages at several sites near outlet of lake at same datum except for water years 1907 and 1908, which were at datum 5.5 ft higher. Oct. 1, 1957, to May 8, 1958, water-stage recorder on left wingwall of dam at outlet of lake at same datum. May 9, 1958, to Sept. 30, 1968, water-stage recorder on pier, 1,000 ft east of dam at lake outlet.
REMARKS - Lake levels regulated by a 17-gate concrete dam at outlet of lake; storage began about 1874. Records, including extremes, represent elevations at 2400 hours. Contents based on capacity table dated 1959. Usable capacity, 744,600 acre-ft, between elevations 6,223 ft, natural rim of lake, and 6,229.1 ft, maximum permissible elevation by Federal Court decree. Lake elevations referred to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation datum because that datum is used as the official reference point by all local, State, and Federal agencies. There are minor diversions for domestic purposes, irrigation, and power. Records, including extremes, represent gage height at 2400 hours. See schematic diagram of Truckee River Basin available from the California Water Science Center.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum elevation, 6,231.26 ft, July 14, 15, 17, 18, 1907; minimum, 6,220.26 ft (estimated), Nov. 30, 1992.
