Dead Pool
Reviewed • Standard Hydrology Definition • WaterLakeLevel
# Dead Pool
Dead pool is the extreme low elevation in a reservoir where water drops below the lowest gravity outlet pipes, penstocks, or dam spillway gates. Once a lake reaches dead pool, water can no longer flow downstream without emergency pumping barges.
1. Hydropower Stoppage: Turbines can no longer spin, causing electrical generation to drop to zero.
2. Downstream River Starvation: River flow below the dam halts, impacting fish populations and downstream municipal intakes.
3. Severe Boating Shutdown: Marina docks and boat ramps are stranded hundreds of yards away from the receding waterline.
The critical low-water elevation below which water cannot flow downstream through gravity outlets.
What Is Dead Pool?
Dead pool is the extreme low elevation in a reservoir where water drops below the lowest gravity outlet pipes, penstocks, or dam spillway gates. Once a lake reaches dead pool, water can no longer flow downstream without emergency pumping barges.
Consequences of Reaching Dead Pool:
1. Hydropower Stoppage: Turbines can no longer spin, causing electrical generation to drop to zero.
2. Downstream River Starvation: River flow below the dam halts, impacting fish populations and downstream municipal intakes.
3. Severe Boating Shutdown: Marina docks and boat ramps are stranded hundreds of yards away from the receding waterline.
Explore Other Hydrology & Boating Terms
Acre-Foot
A volumetric water unit representing the amount of water required to cover one acre of land to a depth of one foot.
Conservation Pool
The volume of water stored in a reservoir dedicated to beneficial uses such as drinking water, power, and recreation.
Datum
A reference surface or mathematical baseline from which vertical elevations or geographic coordinates are reckoned.
Drawdown
The deliberate or natural reduction of a lake or reservoir water surface elevation.
Evaporation Loss
The invisible volumetric loss of water from a lake surface into the atmosphere caused by heat, sun, and dry winds.
Flood Pool
The temporary storage capacity above full conservation pool designed to capture floodwaters and prevent downstream damage.