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USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
08410000 Red Bluff Reservoir near Orla, TX
LOCATION - Lat 31°54'04", long 103°54'35" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, Reeves County, TX, Hydrologic Unit 13070001, at upstream side and near the center of Red Bluff Dam at the service outlet structure on the Pecos River, 2.8 mi upstream from Salt Creek, and 5.2 mi north of Orla.
DRAINAGE AREA - 24,495 mi² of which 3,775 mi² probably is noncontributing.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - Feb. 1937 to Feb. 2003 (contents), Oct. 2002 to current year. Monthly contents only for some periods, published in WSP 1312.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is NAVD88. Prior to Sept. 13, 2022 datum reported as zero ft. above NGVD of 1929. Prior to Nov. 1, 2004, nonrecording gage at right end of dam at local datum 0.43 ft. lower. Satellite telemeter at station.
COOPERATION - Texas Water Development Board and U.S. Geological Survey cooperator matching funds.
REMARKS - Some records listed in the period of record may not be available electronically. Interruptions in the record were due to malfunctions of the instruments. Reservoir is formed by a rock-faced earthfill dam 9,200 ft. long. The dam was completed and storage began in September 1936. The dam and reservoir are owned and operated by the Red Bluff Water Power Control District. The water is used for power development and for irrigation from Mentone to Grandfalls. Records of diversions may be obtained from the Red Bluff Water Power Control District. The uncontrolled emergency spillway, 790 ft. wide, is a cut through natural ground located to the right of right end of dam. The controlled service spillway is equipped with 12 Tainter gates that are 25 by 15 ft. high. Inflow is regulated by many reservoirs and diversion dams. The lake elevation was reset to NAVD88 datum on Sept. 13, 2022. The original elevation of dam features below were provided by Red Bluff Water Power and Control District and were adjusted by the equivalent value required when resetting the gage to zero ft. above NAVD88. A GNSS static survey and subsequent differential levels survey is recommended to verify the elevation of dam features listed below:
Elevation (feet) Top of dam............................................................ 2,857.1 Crest of emergency spillway........................................... 2,846.1 Top of gates.......................................................... 2,843.1 Crest of service spillway and bottom of Tainter gates................. 2,828.1 Lowest gated outlet (invert).......................................... 2,765.1
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum contents observed, 352,000 acre-ft., Sept. 27, 28, 1941, elevation: 2,846.2 ft., observed on nonrecording gage at service spillway (affected by variable drawdown due to flow through Tainter gates); minimum contents observed, 11,080 acre-ft., May 13, 1948, elevation: 2,781.4 ft. Extremes listed above correlate to previous datum before the lake datum was reset to zero ft. above NAVD88 Sept. 13, 2022.
