Pecos River below Dark Canyon at Carlsbad water level

Name: Pecos River below Dark Canyon at Carlsbad 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, Pecos River, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

0.89ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 PM MDT (39 min ago)

Flow: 39.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Pecos River below Dark Canyon at Carlsbad reads 0.89 ft, a normal level.

It is 13.11 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.84 ft and 0.92 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 22.00 ftAugust 23, 1966

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 14.00 ft, still 13.11 ft away.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: the river reaches major flood stage. Area rangeland, farmland, and a few homes along the west bank are threatened.
17.00 ft: the river reaches moderate flood stage, flooding a considerable amount of farmland along the west bank.
14.00 ft: the river reaches minor flood stage, and begins flooding area farmland, mainly downstream.
12.00 ft: the river reaches bankfull. No significant threats are known at stages between 12 and 14 feet.
0.89 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.00 ft	August 23, 1966
2	20.66 ft	April 4, 2004
3	18.53 ft	September 22, 2014
4	17.35 ft	June 24, 1986
5	15.42 ft	September 13, 2013
6	15.24 ft	June 29, 2021
7	15.22 ft	August 10, 1984
8	14.60 ft	September 26, 1980
9	13.10 ft	October 23, 1974
10	12.28 ft	September 26, 1978

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 77° 52° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 83° 53° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 81° 57° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 82° 62° – Wind 23 mph

23 Fri 81° 65° 0.27 in, 66% Wind 22 mph

24 Sat 74° 62° 0.40 in, 66% Wind 18 mph

25 Sun 66° 62° 0.53 in, 45% Wind 23 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:05 AM Sunset 06:20 PM Daylight 11 hr, 15 min First quarter 65%

Map

Other gauges on the Pecos River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pecos River near AcmeRiver gauge, Pecos River	4.58 ft	Below flood stage	±0	81 mi
Pecos River near Lake ArthurRiver gauge, Pecos River	4.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	41 mi
Pecos River near ArtesiaRiver gauge, Pecos River	2.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	30 mi
Pecos River below Brantley Dam near CarlsbadRiver gauge, Pecos River	108 cfs	Normal	−2.0 cfs	13 mi
Pecos River at Damsite 3 near CarlsbadRiver gauge, Pecos River	1.66 ft	Below flood stage	±0	10 mi
Pecos River below Avalon DamRiver gauge, Pecos River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	5.7 mi
Pecos River near MalagaRiver gauge, Pecos River	2.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.19 ft	18 mi
Pecos River at Pierce Canyon CrossingRiver gauge, Pecos River	69.0 cfs	Normal	±0	21 mi
Pecos River at Red BluffRiver gauge, Pecos River	3.35 ft	Below flood stage	±0	25 mi
Pecos River near OrlaRiver gauge, Pecos River	5.48 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	43 mi
Pecos River at FM 3398 near PecosRiver gauge, Pecos River	2.60 ft	Low	±0	77 mi
Pecos River at RR 1776 near GrandfallsRiver gauge, Pecos River	4.32 ft	Low	±0	101 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Dark Canyon at CarlsbadRiver gauge, Dark Canyon	4.35 ft	Below flood stage	±0	0.9 mi
Carlsbad Main Canal at Head near CarlsbadCanal gauge, Carlsbad Main Canal	210 cfs	High	+30.0 cfs	6.0 mi
Avalon ReservoirReservoir	3,175.20 ft	High		6.0 mi
Rocky Arroyo at Highway Brd near CarlsbadRiver gauge, Rocky Arroyo	3.22 ft	Below flood stage	±0	11 mi
Black River at Harkey Crossing near MalagaRiver gauge, Black River	5.5 cfs	Normal	±0	12 mi
Black River above MalagaRiver gauge, Black River	1.07 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	13 mi
Brantley ReservoirReservoir	3,254.32 ft	High		13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Pecos River below Dark Canyon at Carlsbad?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 13.11 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 Pecos River below Dark Canyon at Carlsbad today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 PM MDT, the water level was 0.89 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Pecos River below Dark Canyon at Carlsbad rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Pecos River below Dark Canyon at Carlsbad normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Pecos River below Dark Canyon at Carlsbad?

The highest level on record is 22.00 ft on August 23, 1966.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08405200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.40928, -104.21497 (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	0.89 ft	2026-10-20 03:45	Provisional
Flow	39.4 cfs	2026-10-20 03:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Pecos River below Dark Canyon at Carlsbad (usgs:08405200). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/pecos-river-below-dark-canyon-at-carlsbad

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