Rio Grande Floodway at San Marcial water level

Name: Rio Grande Floodway at San Marcial 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 Grande Floodway, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

11.81ft Down 0.72 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 AM MDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Rio Grande Floodway at San Marcial reads 11.81 ft, a normal level.

It is 12.69 ft below the flood stage of 24.50 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.72 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 11.60 ft and 12.54 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: 22.30 ftAugust 12, 2006

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 24.50 ft, still 12.69 ft away.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: Significant overbank flooding is occurring as this is the most water this stretch of the Rio Grande has seen since the great flood of 1904. The railroad bridge just above the river gauge site is likely under water.
24.50 ft: Some overbank flooding is in progress. The railroad bridge just above the river gauge may already be impassable.
23.00 ft: The Rio Grande is near to above bankfull and the railroad bridge just north of the river gauge may become inundated if further river rises occur.
11.81 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.30 ft	August 12, 2006
2	21.70 ft	May 28, 1994
3	21.43 ft	September 16, 1980
4	21.40 ft	June 7, 2005
5	21.26 ft	August 28, 2008
6	21.25 ft	May 29, 1995
7	19.40 ft	May 11, 1985
8	17.94 ft	June 8, 1984
9	16.77 ft	May 31, 1980
10	16.40 ft	August 15, 1967

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.06 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 77° 53° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 81° 54° – Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 79° 60° 0.09 in, 74% Wind 19 mph

23 Fri 78° 60° 0.17 in, 74% Wind 22 mph

24 Sat 76° 60° 0.09 in, 30% Wind 20 mph

25 Sun 73° 58° 0.04 in, 29% Wind 17 mph

26 Mon 72° 56° 0.03 in, 28% Wind 24 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Rio Grande Floodway

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rio Grande Floodway near BernardoRiver gauge, Rio Grande Floodway	90.7 cfs	Normal	−6.7 cfs	52 mi
Rio Grande Floodway at San AcaciaRiver gauge, Rio Grande Floodway	9.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	40 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rio Grande Conveyance Channel at San MarcialRiver gauge, Rio Grande Conveyance Channel	174 cfs	Normal	+20.0 cfs	0.6 mi
Rio Grande above Us Highway 380 near San AntonioRiver gauge, Rio Grande	223 cfs	Normal	+223 cfs	19 mi
Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte ReservoirRiver gauge, Rio Grande	119 cfs	Normal	−10.0 cfs	22 mi
Rio Grande at Bridge near EscondidaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	37.1 cfs	Low	±0	31 mi
Elephant Butte ReservoirReservoir	4,296.05 ft	Low		33 mi
Rio Grande below Elephant Butte DamRiver gauge, Rio Grande	0.6 cfs	Very low	±0	39 mi
Salt Creek near TularosaRiver gauge, Salt Creek	0.9 cfs	Very high	+0.6 cfs	44 mi
Malpais Spring near OscuraRiver gauge, Malpais Spring	6.3 cfs	Very high	±0	48 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Rio Grande Floodway at San Marcial?

The official flood stage is 24.50 ft. The level is currently 12.69 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 Grande Floodway at San Marcial today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 AM MDT, the water level was 11.81 ft. Down 0.72 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Rio Grande Floodway at San Marcial rising or falling?

Down 0.72 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Rio Grande Floodway at San Marcial normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rio Grande Floodway at San Marcial?

The highest level on record is 22.30 ft on August 12, 2006.

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:08358400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.67908, -106.99700 (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	11.81 ft	2026-10-20 15:45	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-20 15:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rio Grande Floodway at San Marcial (usgs:08358400). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/rio-grande-floodway-at-san-marcial

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