Rio Chama below El Vado Dam water level

Name: Rio Chama below El Vado Dam 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, Rio Chama, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.07ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 04:30 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 153 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Rio Chama below El Vado Dam reads 2.07 ft, a normal level.

It is 4.73 ft below the flood stage of 6.80 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.07 ft and 2.31 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: 7.08 ftMay 7, 1985

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 6.80 ft, still 4.73 ft away.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Cooper's El Vado Ranch and the Chama River RV Park and storage are getting flooded. The cabins nearest to the river will have water above the threshold of the doors.
9.00 ft: Flood waters are beginning to encroach on the Chama River RV Park and Storage campground near Cooper's El Vado Ranch.
6.80 ft: Low lying, mostly wild land along the riverbank begins to flood. Bank stability could be threatened and erosion is possible.
2.07 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.08 ft	May 7, 1985
2	6.89 ft	May 17, 1941
3	6.82 ft	May 20, 1973
4	6.67 ft	May 9, 2009
5	6.39 ft	May 23, 1995
6	5.96 ft	May 20, 2005
7	5.88 ft	May 18, 1994

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on the Rio Chama

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rio Chama above ChamaRiver gauge, Rio Chama	1.67 ft	No reference yet	−0.06 ft	26 mi
Rio Chama near La PuenteRiver gauge, Rio Chama	117 cfs	High	−13.0 cfs	8 mi
Rio Chama above Abiquiu ReservoirRiver gauge, Rio Chama	5.16 ft	Below flood stage	±0	19 mi
Rio Chama below Abiquiu DamRiver gauge, Rio Chama	2.43 ft	Below flood stage	±0	29 mi
Rio Chama near ChamitaRiver gauge, Rio Chama	4.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	49 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
El Vado LakeLake	6,811.99 ft	Low		1.2 mi
Heron ReservoirReservoir	7,073.74 ft	Very low		8 mi
Rio Brazos at Fishtail Road near Tierra AmarillaRiver gauge, Rio Brazos	1.09 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Rio Ojo Caliente at La MaderaRiver gauge, Rio Ojo Caliente	2.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	41 mi
San Juan River near CarracasRiver gauge, San Juan River	698 cfs	Very high	−129.0 cfs	44 mi
Piedra River near ArbolesRiver gauge, Piedra River	762 cfs	Very high	−160.0 cfs	51 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Rio Chama below El Vado Dam?

The official flood stage is 6.80 ft. The level is currently 4.73 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 Rio Chama below El Vado Dam today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:30 PM MDT, the water level was 2.07 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rio Chama below El Vado Dam rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Rio Chama below El Vado Dam normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rio Chama below El Vado Dam?

The highest level on record is 7.08 ft on May 7, 1985.

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:08285500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.58038, -106.72477 (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	2.07 ft	2026-10-18 22:30	Provisional
Flow	153 cfs	2026-10-18 22:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rio Chama below El Vado Dam (usgs:08285500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/rio-chama-below-el-vado-dam

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