San Francisco River at Clifton water level

Name: San Francisco River at Clifton 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, San Francisco River, Arizona, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

9.25ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM MST (1 hour ago)

Flow: 60.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 13.47 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 07:23 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at San Francisco River at Clifton, where the gauge shows 9.25 ft.

It is 14.75 ft below the flood stage of 24.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 13.47 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 AM. The 30-day range is 9.24 ft – 9.35 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 25.27 ftJanuary 18, 1993
Forecast peak: 13.47 ftFriday, October 23 at 08:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 24.00 ft.

What happens at each level

28.00 ft: Major flood stage (60,700 cfs). Railroad and highway 191 bridges overtopped. Water close to half way up clifton levee. Leveee should be monitored for any breaches or piping of water through it.
26.00 ft: Moderate flood stages (43,300 cfs). Bottom of highway 191 bridge reached. Back-ups further upstream possible with flooding in north clifton and eastside likely. Motel, church, and old railroad station on west bank and homes on east bank threatened.
24.00 ft: Minor flood stage (30,000 cfs). Water appoaches bottom of railroad bridge and debris may build up. Highway 191 bridge likely closed. Possible precautionary evacuations for north clifton and eastside, including the north clifton rv park.
22.00 ft: Bankfull stage (22,000 cfs)
9.25 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.27 ft	January 18, 1993
2	22.28 ft	October 23, 2000
3	21.51 ft	January 5, 1995
4	21.13 ft	January 11, 1993
5	19.82 ft	February 20, 1993

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 80° 58° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 81° 61° 0.03 in, 36% Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 81° 65° 0.39 in, 80% Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 70° 64° 1.45 in, 91% Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 73° 60° 0.05 in, 52% Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 72° 58° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 73° 57° 0.15 in Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:25 AM Sunset 05:40 PM Daylight 11 hr, 15 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the San Francisco River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
San Francisco River above Stone Creek near LunaRiver gauge, San Francisco River	9.17 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	56 mi
San Francisco River at ReserveRiver gauge, San Francisco River	10.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	55 mi
San Francisco River near GlenwoodRiver gauge, San Francisco River	1.50 ft	Below flood stage	±0	28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Gila River near CliftonRiver gauge, Gila River	43.6 cfs	Normal	+2.7 cfs	6 mi
Eagle Creek above Pumping Plant, near MorenciRiver gauge, Eagle Creek	1.76 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	8 mi
Bonita Creek near MorenciRiver gauge, Bonita Creek	5.02 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon,River gauge, Gila River	7.34 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	16 mi
Eagle Creek near Double Circle Ranch, near MorenciRiver gauge, Eagle Creek	18.7 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	20 mi
Eagle Creek at Eagle School Road, near MorenciRiver gauge, Eagle Creek	1.7 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	24 mi
Gila River at DuncanRiver gauge, Gila River	6.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	26 mi
Mogollon Creek near CliffRiver gauge, Mogollon Creek	6.5 cfs	Normal	+1.0 cfs	38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the San Francisco River at Clifton?

The official flood stage is 24.00 ft. The level is currently 14.75 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 San Francisco River at Clifton today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM MST, the water level was 9.25 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is San Francisco River at Clifton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of San Francisco River at Clifton normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at San Francisco River at Clifton?

The highest level on record is 25.27 ft on January 18, 1993.

Is San Francisco River at Clifton expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 13.47 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09444500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.05604, -109.29902 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
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	9.25 ft	2026-10-19 20:00	Provisional
Flow	60.6 cfs	2026-10-19 20:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: San Francisco River at Clifton (usgs:09444500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/arizona/san-francisco-river-at-clifton

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