Outlook
Middle estimate, with the range the level has an 8 in 10 chance of landing in. The bars share one scale: change from today.
Rises are harder to call. Heavy rain in the watershed can push the lake above these ranges within days.
- Rain, past 7 days
- 0.0 in0 mm watershed average
- Rain forecast, next 7 days
- 0.6 in14 mm normal 1.1 in27 mm
Statistical estimate, not safety, boating, or water-quality advice. For ramps, closures and advisories, check the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Map
Map of Jim Chapman Lake with the dam, level gauge and 5 public boat ramps.
- Dam
- Level gauge
- Public boat ramp
Ramp locations from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Whether a ramp is open depends on the lake level; check the operator.
Level and outlook
FeetMeters above sea level
- Measured
- Middle estimate
- 8 in 10 range
- Full pool
Show outlook as a table
| Date | Low end | Middle | High end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2 | 434.1132.30 | 434.1132.32 | 434.3132.36 |
| Nov 9 | 433.8132.21 | 434.0132.27 | 434.4132.39 |
| Nov 25 | 433.3132.06 | 433.6132.17 | 434.9132.55 |
How well this outlook has done here
We tested the 2-week outlook on past years at this lake, as if made once a week with only what was known that day.
- On average it was off by
- 0.51 ft0.16 m Assuming the level stays the same was off by 0.71 ft0.22 m
- Actual level inside our range
- 77% of 426 tests; the range is built to catch 8 in 10
- When we said a rise was possible (20–40%)
- 32% of those 38 times it ended 1 ft0.3 m or more higher
The rise chance uses the same threshold for every lake: 1 ft (0.3048 m).
Connected lakes
Water from upstream lakes flows into this one; water released here flows on downstream.
Downstream
Nearby lakes
Closest lakes in a straight line, with today's level.
- Lake Sulphur Springs11 mi18 km away · 457.3 ft139.37 m · 83%
- Lake Crook27 mi44 km away · 474.4 ft144.60 m · 82%
- Bois d'Arc Lake32 mi52 km away · 531.1 ft161.87 m · 87%
- Lake Cypress Springs33 mi53 km away · 375.4 ft114.43 m · 88%
- Pat Mayse Lake36 mi58 km away · 448.6 ft136.75 m · 89%
- Lake Fork Reservoir36 mi59 km away · 398.0 ft121.31 m · 80%
About Jim Chapman Lake
Jim Chapman Lake, also known as Cooper Lake, is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the South Sulphur River in Delta County, about 75 miles east of Dallas. The dam was completed in 1991, and the lake was renamed in 1998 for former congressman Jim Chapman. It stores water supply for North Texas cities, and Cooper Lake State Park is on its shore. Wright Patman Lake is downstream on the Sulphur River.
More: Wikipedia · Texas Water Development Board · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Full pool (conservation)
- 440.0 ft134.11 m
- Highest level since 2000
- 448.5 ft136.71 m, Mar 2018
- Lowest level since 2000
- 422.0 ft128.63 m, Dec 2006
- Surface area at normal pool
- 19,280 acres7,802 ha
- Conservation storage
- 258,723 acre-feet319 million m³
- Dam
- Cooper Dam, 1991
- River or creek
- Sulphur River
- County
- Delta
- Owner
- USACE - Fort Worth District
Elevations are feetmeters above sea level (NGVD29).
Common questions
Is Jim Chapman Lake full right now?
On Oct 26 it was 434.3 ft, 5.7 ft below full pool (440.0 ft), holding 64% of its conservation storage.On Oct 26 it was 132.38 m, 1.73 m below full pool (134.11 m), holding 64% of its conservation storage.
Is Jim Chapman Lake going up or down?
The middle estimate for Nov 9 is down about 0.4 ft, with an 8 in 10 chance it ends between 433.8 ft and 434.4 ft. The chance it ends 1 ft or more higher than today is under 5%. Heavy rain can change that quickly.The middle estimate for Nov 9 is down about 0.11 m, with an 8 in 10 chance it ends between 132.21 m and 132.39 m. The chance it ends 0.3 m or more higher than today is under 5%. Heavy rain can change that quickly.
Where does this data come from?
Daily levels come from the Texas Water Development Board and lake operators. The outlook is our own statistical model, using recent levels and forecast rain over the watershed.