Sabino Creek near Tucson water level

Name: Sabino Creek near Tucson 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, Sabino Creek, Arizona, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.11ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:15 PM MST (39 min ago)

Flow: 1.5 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.57 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 06:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 07:29 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Sabino Creek near Tucson is at 1.11 ft, in the normal range.

It is 1.89 ft below the flood stage of 3.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.57 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 06:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 1.09 ft and 1.11 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 9.04 ftJuly 31, 2006
Forecast peak: 1.57 ftThursday, October 22 at 06:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Sabino Creek near Tucson

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 3.00 ft, 1.89 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

7.00 ft: Properties downstream from Sabino Canyon experience flooding
5.50 ft: Properties downstream from Sabino Canyon isolated
3.00 ft: All bridges in Sabino Canyon Recreation Area impassible
1.11 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.04 ft	July 31, 2006
2	8.25 ft	July 15, 1999
3	7.60 ft	January 8, 1993
4	5.66 ft	October 1, 1983
5	4.64 ft	February 15, 1995
6	4.43 ft	August 23, 2003
7	4.28 ft	July 27, 1996
8	4.09 ft	March 1, 1991
9	3.92 ft	December 28, 1984
10	3.66 ft	February 13, 1992

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 84° 64° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 90° 67° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 90° 69° 0.14 in, 46% Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 83° 68° 0.37 in, 87% Wind 21 mph

23 Fri 76° 65° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 78° 65° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 80° 68° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:31 AM Sunset 05:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 15 min First quarter 66%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rillito Creek at Dodge Boulevard, at TucsonRiver gauge, Rillito Creek	3.11 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Santa Cruz River at TucsonRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	0.00 ft	Below flood stage	±0	12 mi
Rincon Creek near TucsonRiver gauge, Rincon Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	17 mi
Santa Cruz River at CortaroRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	8.47 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	17 mi
Pantano Wash near VailRiver gauge, Pantano Wash	0.2 cfs	Low	±0	21 mi
San Pedro River at Redington Bridge near RedingtonRiver gauge, San Pedro River	6.73 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	21 mi
Santa Cruz River at Trico Road, near MaranaRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	2.70 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	31 mi
Barrel Canyon near SonoitaRiver gauge, Barrel Canyon	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	32 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Sabino Creek near Tucson?

The official flood stage is 3.00 ft. The level is currently 1.89 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 Sabino Creek near Tucson today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:15 PM MST, the water level was 1.11 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Sabino Creek near Tucson rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Sabino Creek near Tucson normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Sabino Creek near Tucson?

The highest level on record is 9.04 ft on July 31, 2006.

Is Sabino Creek near Tucson expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.57 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 06:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09484000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.31472, -110.81092 (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	1.11 ft	2026-10-20 06:15	Provisional
Flow	1.5 cfs	2026-10-20 06:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/7641?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Sabino Creek near Tucson water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sabino Creek near Tucson (usgs:09484000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/arizona/sabino-creek-near-tucson

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