Gila River near Maricopa water level

Name: Gila River near Maricopa water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Gila River, Arizona, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

0.97ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 11:30 PM MST (31 min ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.95 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:36 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Gila River near Maricopa, where the gauge shows 0.97 ft.

It is 5.03 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.95 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 6.80 ftJanuary 22, 1993
Forecast peak: 1.95 ftSunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 6.00 ft.

What happens at each level

8.00 ft: Major flooding occurs throughout the area. Water reaches the bottom of the I-10 bridge.
7.00 ft: Extensive lowland flooding of the desert area occurs. Water reaches the bottom of the USGS gage.
6.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Flooding of lowland adjacent desert areas occurs.
0.97 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	6.80 ft	January 22, 1993
2	6.70 ft	January 20, 1993
3	4.03 ft	July 31, 2006
4	2.16 ft	September 2, 1996
5	2.11 ft	August 16, 2004
6	2.06 ft	October 27, 2000
7	1.93 ft	August 17, 1997
8	1.92 ft	August 20, 1995
9	1.87 ft	March 11, 2005
10	0.99 ft	March 1, 2009

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 06:36 AM Sunset 05:51 PM Daylight 11 hr, 15 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the Gila River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon,River gauge, Gila River	7.29 ft	Below flood stage	±0	148 mi
Gila River at CalvaRiver gauge, Gila River	2.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	103 mi
Gila River below Coolidge DamRiver gauge, Gila River	60.5 cfs	Normal	±0	85 mi
Gila River at KelvinRiver gauge, Gila River	7.30 ft	Below flood stage	±0	60 mi
Gila River at Estrella Parkway, near GoodyearRiver gauge, Gila River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	27 mi
Gila River below Gillespie Dam, Az (Low-Flow Station)River gauge, Gila River	3.91 ft	No reference yet	−0.16 ft	44 mi
Gila River below Painted Rock DamRiver gauge, Gila River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	59 mi
Gila River near DatelandRiver gauge, Gila River	2.59 ft	Below flood stage	±0	91 mi
Gila River near DomeRiver gauge, Gila River	14.54 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	143 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Santa Cruz River near LaveenRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	10 mi
Salt River at Priest Drive near PhoenixRiver gauge, Salt River	1.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	19 mi
Verde River near ScottsdaleRiver gauge, Verde River	723 cfs	High	−5.0 cfs	33 mi
Salt River below Stewart Mountain DamRiver gauge, Salt River	40.1 cfs	Low	−3.0 cfs	36 mi
Skunk Creek near PhoenixRiver gauge, Skunk Creek	0.97 ft	No reference yet	±0	39 mi
Sycamore Creek near Fort McDowellRiver gauge, Sycamore Creek	1.80 ft	Below flood stage	+1.52 ft	45 mi
Fish Creek near Tortilla FlatRiver gauge, Fish Creek	5.30 ft	No reference yet	±0	48 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Gila River near Maricopa?

The official flood stage is 6.00 ft. The level is currently 5.03 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Gila River near Maricopa today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 11:30 PM MST, the water level was 0.97 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Gila River near Maricopa rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Gila River near Maricopa normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Gila River near Maricopa?

The highest level on record is 6.80 ft on January 22, 1993.

Is Gila River near Maricopa expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.95 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09479350 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.16866, -112.00736 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	0.97 ft	2026-10-19 06:30	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-19 06:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Gila River near Maricopa (usgs:09479350). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/arizona/gila-river-near-maricopa

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer