Rio Penasco near Hope water level

Name: Rio Penasco near Hope 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 Penasco, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

4.43ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:15 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 2.3 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at Rio Penasco near Hope: the gauge reads 4.43 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 4.42 ft – 4.43 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 74° 51° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 72° 53° 0.16 in Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 76° 59° – Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 74° 58° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 72° 57° 0.84 in, 47% Wind 19 mph

24 Sat 70° 57° 0.22 in, 47% Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 58° 53° 0.48 in, 37% Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:24 PM Daylight 11 hr, 16 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Rio Penasco

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rio Penasco near DunkenRiver gauge, Rio Penasco	4.0 cfs	Low	+0.7 cfs	7 mi
Rio Penasco at DaytonRiver gauge, Rio Penasco	0.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	39 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rio Hondo at Diamond A Ranch near RoswellRiver gauge, Rio Hondo	5.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	38 mi
Rio Hondo below Diamond A Dam near RoswellRiver gauge, Rio Hondo	32.8 cfs	Very high	+6.2 cfs	38 mi
Fourmile Draw near LakewoodRiver gauge, Fourmile Draw	2.21 ft	Below flood stage	±0	42 mi
Brantley ReservoirReservoir	3,254.32 ft	High		45 mi
Pecos River below Brantley Dam near CarlsbadRiver gauge, Pecos River	108 cfs	Normal	+2.0 cfs	45 mi
Rocky Arroyo at Highway Brd near CarlsbadRiver gauge, Rocky Arroyo	3.22 ft	Below flood stage	±0	46 mi
Rio Ruidoso at HollywoodRiver gauge, Rio Ruidoso	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	47 mi
Rio Ruidoso at RuidosoRiver gauge, Rio Ruidoso	9.4 cfs	Normal	−15.5 cfs	51 mi

Questions and answers

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 Penasco near Hope today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:15 PM MDT, the water level was 4.43 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rio Penasco near Hope rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Rio Penasco near Hope normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08397620 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.83677, -105.06942 (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	4.43 ft	2026-10-19 18:15	Provisional
Flow	2.3 cfs	2026-10-19 18:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rio Penasco near Hope (usgs:08397620). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/rio-penasco-near-hope

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