Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon, water level

Name: Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon, 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, Gila River, Arizona, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

9.13ft Up 1.03 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 02:30 AM MST (54 min ago)

Flow: 508 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 12.24 ft by Friday, October 23 at 04:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:07 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon, reads 9.13 ft, a normal level.

It is 11.87 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft.

The water is rising: up 1.03 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 12.24 ft by Friday, October 23 at 04:00 PM. There is still 11.87 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 7.28 ft and 10.33 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 20.80 ftOctober 2, 1983
Forecast peak: 12.24 ftFriday, October 23 at 04:00 PM

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 21.00 ft, still 11.87 ft away.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Several homes and businesses flooded, mostly on north sides of Solomon, Safford, and Thatcher. Bridges may be overtopped.
22.50 ft: Bridges in Safford Valley closed and extensive agricultural flooding. Homes and structures closest to the river threatened.
21.00 ft: Agricultural flooding begins from Solomon down to Thatcher. Water begins to threaten bridge approaches in the Safford Valley.
19.00 ft: Water begins to approach agricultural fields.
9.13 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.80 ft	October 2, 1983
2	18.56 ft	January 19, 1993
3	18.44 ft	February 14, 2005
4	17.92 ft	January 11, 1993
5	17.92 ft	January 8, 1993
6	17.50 ft	January 5, 1995
7	16.95 ft	December 29, 1984
8	15.16 ft	October 23, 2000
9	14.94 ft	December 6, 1994
10	14.38 ft	March 2, 1991

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 86° 62° 0.04 in, 25% Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 89° 66° – Wind 19 mph

22 Thu 87° 67° 0.02 in, 96% Wind 17 mph

23 Fri 82° 62° – Wind 19 mph

24 Sat 77° 62° – Wind 16 mph

25 Sun 74° 58° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 76° 60° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:27 AM Sunset 05:39 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Gila River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Gila River near Gila Hot SpringsRiver gauge, Gila River	103 cfs	Very high	−22.0 cfs	77 mi
Gila River near GilaRiver gauge, Gila River	1.91 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	56 mi
Gila River near RedrockRiver gauge, Gila River	4.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	48 mi
Gila River below Blue Creek, near VirdenRiver gauge, Gila River	5.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	40 mi
Gila River at DuncanRiver gauge, Gila River	7.06 ft	Below flood stage	−1.27 ft	25 mi
Gila River near CliftonRiver gauge, Gila River	65.8 cfs	Normal	+26.2 cfs	11 mi
Gila River at CalvaRiver gauge, Gila River	2.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	48 mi
Gila River below Coolidge DamRiver gauge, Gila River	60.5 cfs	Normal	±0	64 mi
Gila River at KelvinRiver gauge, Gila River	7.31 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	88 mi
Gila River near MaricopaRiver gauge, Gila River	0.97 ft	Below flood stage	±0	148 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bonita Creek near MorenciRiver gauge, Bonita Creek	5.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.67 ft	5.9 mi
Eagle Creek above Pumping Plant, near MorenciRiver gauge, Eagle Creek	1.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	13 mi
San Francisco River at CliftonRiver gauge, San Francisco River	9.67 ft	Below flood stage	+0.40 ft	16 mi
Eagle Creek near Double Circle Ranch, near MorenciRiver gauge, Eagle Creek	17.1 cfs	Normal	−3.8 cfs	29 mi
Eagle Creek at Eagle School Road, near MorenciRiver gauge, Eagle Creek	1.9 cfs	Normal	+0.3 cfs	33 mi
San Francisco River near GlenwoodRiver gauge, San Francisco River	1.50 ft	Below flood stage	±0	43 mi
Black Rvr below Pumping Plant, near Point of PinesRiver gauge, Black Rvr	60.8 cfs	Normal	−8.0 cfs	44 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon,?

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 11.87 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 Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon, today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 02:30 AM MST, the water level was 9.13 ft. Up 1.03 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon, rising or falling?

Up 1.03 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 1.72 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon, normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon,?

The highest level on record is 20.80 ft on October 2, 1983.

Is Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon, expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 12.24 ft by Friday, October 23 at 04:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09448500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.88272, -109.47961 (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	9.13 ft	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional
Flow	508 cfs	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Gila River at Head of Safford Valley, near Solomon, (usgs:09448500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/arizona/gila-river-at-head-of-safford-valley-near-solomon

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