Animas River at Farmington water level

Name: Animas River at Farmington 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, Animas River, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.89ft Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 01:30 PM MDT (57 min ago)

Flow: 1,160 cfs
Water temperature: 51 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.02 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:17 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Animas River at Farmington is at 5.89 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.11 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.18 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.02 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 5.89 ft and 6.32 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 51 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.50 ftOctober 6, 1911
Forecast peak: 8.02 ftFriday, October 23 at 11:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Animas River at Farmington

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 10.00 ft, 4.11 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Major flooding is occurring along the lower Animas River. Water levels are approaching those experienced during the great flood of October 1911.
12.00 ft: The riverwalk area in Farmington is flooded and should be avoided. Water levels have not been this high since the flood of 1927.
10.00 ft: Portions of the riverwalk in Farmington are flooded. Local overbank flooding is occurring along the lower Animas River.
5.89 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.50 ft	October 6, 1911
2	14.30 ft	June 29, 1927
3	11.00 ft	May 14, 1941
4	10.70 ft	August 22, 1947
5	10.70 ft	June 19, 1949
6	10.30 ft	September 7, 1970
7	10.15 ft	October 20, 1972
8	9.98 ft	May 25, 2005
9	9.76 ft	October 4, 2006
10	9.68 ft	June 10, 1985

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 69° 35° – Wind 7 mph

18 Sun 71° 38° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 71° 47° 0.05 in Wind 18 mph

20 Tue 70° 53° 0.04 in Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 74° 54° 0.94 in, 66% Wind 22 mph

22 Thu 69° 57° 0.38 in, 84% Wind 20 mph

23 Fri 63° 50° 0.20 in, 84% Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:34 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Animas River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Animas River at SilvertonRiver gauge, Animas River	156 cfs	Very high	+5.0 cfs	81 mi
Animas River below SilvertonRiver gauge, Animas River	345 cfs	Very high	−9.0 cfs	79 mi
Animas River at Tall Timber Resort above TacomaRiver gauge, Animas River	902 cfs	Very high	−90.0 cfs	65 mi
Animas River at DurangoRiver gauge, Animas River	3.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	42 mi
Animas River below Durango Pump Plant near DurangoRiver gauge, Animas River	1,360 cfs	Very high	−140.0 cfs	41 mi
Animas River near Cedar HillRiver gauge, Animas River	6.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	28 mi
Animas River below AztecRiver gauge, Animas River	1,330 cfs	Very high	−140.0 cfs	12 mi
Animas River at Penny Lane near Flora VistaRiver gauge, Animas River	6.01 ft	No reference yet	−0.18 ft	7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
San Juan River at FarmingtonRiver gauge, San Juan River	2.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.21 ft	1.3 mi
La Plata River near FarmingtonRiver gauge, La Plata River	11.7 cfs	Normal	−11.0 cfs	2.9 mi
San Juan River at BloomfieldRiver gauge, San Juan River	189 cfs	Very low	−8.0 cfs	12 mi
La Plata River at La PlataRiver gauge, La Plata River	10.3 cfs	Very high	−1.7 cfs	14 mi
San Juan River at ShiprockRiver gauge, San Juan River	8.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	27 mi
San Juan River near ArchuletaRiver gauge, San Juan River	3.86 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	28 mi
Mancos River near TowaocRiver gauge, Mancos River	8.9 cfs	Normal	−2.6 cfs	37 mi
Lake Nighthorse and Ridges BasinLake	6,880.30 ft	Normal		38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Animas River at Farmington?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 4.11 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 Animas River at Farmington today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:30 PM MDT, the water level was 5.89 ft. Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Animas River at Farmington rising or falling?

Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Animas River at Farmington normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Animas River at Farmington?

The highest level on record is 16.50 ft on October 6, 1911.

Is Animas River at Farmington expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.02 ft by Friday, October 23 at 11:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09364500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.72250, -108.20175 (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	5.89 ft	2026-10-18 19:30	Provisional
Flow	1,160 cfs	2026-10-18 19:30	Provisional
Water temperature	51 °F	2026-10-18 19:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Animas River at Farmington (usgs:09364500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/animas-river-at-farmington

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