USGS
Water Resources Data - California, Water Year 1994
11299000 NEW MELONES RESERVOIR NEAR SONORA, CA
LOCATION.--Lat 37`57'02", long 120`30'49", in NW 1/4 SE 1/4 sec.11, T.1 N., R.13 E., Calaveras County, Hydrologic
Unit 18040010, at right abutment of New Melones Dam on Stanislaus River, 0.1 mi downstream from the old
Melones Dam, and 7.6 mi southwest of Sonora.
DRAINAGE AREA.--904 mi2.
PERIOD OF RECORD.--1926 (year-end contents only, published in WSP 1315-A), June 1927 to current year. Prior to
October 1970, published as Melones Reservoir at Melones Dam. October 1970 to September 1978, published as
Melones Lake near Sonora.
REVISED RECORDS.--WSP 1930: Drainage area.
GAGE.--Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is sea level (levels by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). Prior to
Feb. 28, 1961, nonrecording gage, and Mar. 1, 1961, to Nov. 26, 1978, water-stage recorder at site on left
side of old Melones Dam, at same datum.
REMARKS.--Reservoir is formed by earth and rockfill dam completed in November 1978. Dam is downstream from the
original concrete dam which was completed in December 1926. Usable capacity 2,420,000 acre-ft between
elevations 543.0 ft, invert entrance to outlet tunnel, and 1,088.0 ft, gross pool elevation. No dead storage.
When elevation is above 808.0 ft, water is released through New Melones Powerplant (station 11299200) to
Tulloch Reservoir (station 11299995) where it is used for irrigation. Records for the 1971 water year
represent contents at 1630 hours. Records, including extremes, represent total contents at 2400 hours. See
schematic diagram of Stanislaus River basin.
COOPERATION.--Records were provided by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD (Subsequent to completion of New Melones Dam in 1978).--Maximum contents,
2,400,000 acre-ft, July 8-10, 1983, elevation, 1,086.42 ft; minimum since reservoir first filled in July 1983,
83,630 acre-ft, Oct. 1, 1992, elevation, 721.15 ft.
EXTREMES FOR CURRENT YEAR.--Maximum contents, 793,800 acre-ft, Mar. 3, elevation, 911.71 ft; minimum,
376,800 acre-ft, Sept. 28, elevation, 828.97 ft.
Capacity table (elevation, in feet, and contents, in acre-feet)
(Based on table provided by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, dated September 1978)
700 53,900 760 160,500 880 611,500 1,000 1,471,000
710 66,950 780 212,300 900 723,000 1,020 1,662,000
720 81,800 800 272,800 920 846,500 1,040 1,867,000
730 98,530 820 342,400 940 982,600 1,060 2,087,000
740 117,200 840 421,800 960 1,132,000 1,088 2,420,000
750 137,800 860 511,200 980 1,295,000
RESERVOIR STORAGE (ACRE-FEET), WATER YEAR OCTOBER 1993 TO SEPTEMBER 1994
DAILY OBSERVATION AT 2400 HOURS
DAY OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP
1 672500 683800 711000 748800 774300 793400 740500 692300 648800 576500 493100 421000
2 672800 683900 712700 750100 773400 793000 738300 691900 646200 573900 491300 419300
3 672400 683600 712000 750200 772700 793800 736200 692200 643400 570800 489200 416500
4 672400 684300 713100 751800 771900 791500 734800 691200 642200 567500 486500 413700
5 672900 684100 714200 753500 770800 790400 733800 690700 640400 564600 484500 411800
6 674100 685100 716000 755200 771200 791300 732300 690000 638100 562600 481900 410900
7 675500 686300 715900 755100 772500 790200 730000 689700 636400 560500 479100 410400
8 675300 686300 717300 756200 774900 788900 728200 690800 634900 559000 476500 409200
9 673000 688100 719300 757400 776400 787300 725900 692400 633400 556200 474100 407200
10 670600 689600 721800 757100 777700 785300 724600 692400 631300 552800 471600 404900
11 669200 691100 724900 758300 779000 784700 724000 691800 629000 549100 469000 402600
12 668400 690200 727800 759700 780000 783300 722000 690900 626300 545400 466700 400600
13 669100 691300 728200 758700 781000 781600 720000 689700 622900 542600 463800 398900
14 669700 692500 729200 760000 780400 780100 718100 688200 621000 540900 460700 397500
15 671600 694000 730500 761300 781400 778400 716400 687000 618400 538500 457300 397100
16 672100 693600 731900 762300 782300 776200 714600 685600 615400 535700 455100 396800
17 671300 695000 733200 763600 781600 774000 712700 684500 612900 532400 453300 394100
18 670900 696500 734500 762700 783400 772500 709900 681100 610200 529600 450600 391100
19 670200 696800 735900 764000 784700 770300 707200 678500 607200 526700 447900 389100
20 670200 698000 737200 765400 786400 768100 708000 675700 603900 523900 444900 387800
21 670800 699200 738700 766600 787700 766000 703600 672300 601800 521000 441500 387600
22 671900 700700 740300 766400 789100 763300 701900 669200 599900 519000 438900 387400
23 673000 700900 741800 767900 788400 761800 700700 665600 597300 515800 436600 385600
24 674300 701900 741100 769900 789400 760100 700000 663400 595100 512600 434700 383000
25 676100 703000 742100 771700 788700 758500 698500 662100 591700 509700 432900 380400
26 677700 704500 743500 773300 789700 755900 697200 660200 588300 507100 431100 378300
27 678500 703600 744400 773000 790700 752300 695900 658100 585500 505000 428200 377100
28 680200 704900 745500 774200 792000 749300 693800 655700 582900 503000 425800 376800
29 681100 707100 747000 773900 --- 746300 691700 653400 580500 501500 424600 378100
30 681800 709000 746900 774900 --- 743900 691500 651500 578800 498700 423000 379200
31 682700 --- 747500 774300 --- 742100 --- 649500 --- 495700 422300 ---
MAX 682700 709000 747500 774900 792000 793800 740500 692400 648800 576500 493100 421000
MIN 668400 683600 711000 748800 770800 742100 691500 649500 578800 495700 422300 376800
a 893.02 897.60 904.13 908.54 911.42 903.22 894.55 887.06 873.72 856.69 840.13 829.58
b +12000 +26300 +38500 +26800 +17700 -49900 -50600 -42000 -70700 -83100 -73400 -43100
c 2055 1661 961 1248 1170 1799 2120 2814 2912 3375 3451 1948
d 36190 15910 15810 16860 17300 84880 93340 85480 108700 115100 107300 53800
CAL YR 1993 b +631900
WTR YR 1994 b -291500
a Elevation, in feet, at end of month.
b Change in contents, in acre-feet.
c Evaporation, in acre-feet, published as provided; not reviewed by U.S. Geological Survey.
d Discharge, in acre-feet, through New Melones Powerplant, provided by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
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If you have any questions or comments about this document contact:
Dale Alan Cox <dacox@usgs.gov>
U.S. Geological Survey