February 25, 2023 - as of 4:30 pm

United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) advised SYRWCD that the Cachuma Reservoir was past the peak inflow of 31,000 cfs and maximum discharge of 25,000 cfs generated by the unexpectedly severe February storm event.  As of February 25, at 4:30 pm, releases at the dam were 14,500 cfs and expect to be reduced each hour in compliance with National Marine Fisheries Service reviewed ramp down tables.

Reclamation anticipates reaching a controlled discharge of 2,000 cfs no earlier than 9:00 am on Sunday 2/26, but may pause the ramp down for an hour at a time if reservoir inflow is higher than the planned reduction. Once reservoir discharge reaches 2,000 cfs, they plan to hold releases steady, as needed, to establish sufficient storage volume to drink in the persistent runoff from the past storm as well as the rainfall anticipated in the next few days. Current estimates have the approximate reservoir elevation of 751 ft.

Follow the Santa Ynez River water levels with USGS Stream Sensors. Here are the links:

• Santa Ynez River at Solvang (Alisal Bridge)
• Santa Ynez River at Lompoc Narrows

 County of Santa Barbara - Public Works

• Hydrology Section
  • Real-time Rainfall, River-Stream, and Reservoir Data
    • Real-time Rainfall Table
    • Real-time Reservoir Levels (map)
    • Real-time Stream Flow (map)
  • Rainfall & Reservoir Summary (Santa Barbara County Flood Control District)
  • Remote Cameras - Santa Barbara FCD (see latest images)

United States Bureau of Reclamation: Cachuma Daily Operations Table

Here is a LINK to  Reclamation's Cachuma Daily Operations Table: a daily summary of storage, inflows, and quantity of water released per outlet location from Cachuma Reservoir.