Santa Cruz River at Cortaro water level

Name: Santa Cruz River at Cortaro 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, Santa Cruz River, Arizona, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

7.98ft Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 AM MST (43 min ago)

Flow: 23.5 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.76 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 11:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 07:29 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Santa Cruz River at Cortaro, where the gauge shows 7.98 ft.

It is 10.52 ft below the flood stage of 18.50 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.76 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 11:00 PM. There is still 10.52 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 7.83 ft – 8.56 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.69 ftJuly 31, 2010
Forecast peak: 8.76 ftThursday, October 22 at 11:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 18.50 ft.

What happens at each level

20.70 ft: Major flood stage. Homes in far northwest marana downstream of raised levees could see major damage.
19.50 ft: Moderate flood stage. Far northwest marana downstream of raised levees threatened. Homes in this area may be evacuated as a precaution. Bridges on Sanders Road, Trico Road, and Trico-marana Road will be closed due to overtopping.
18.50 ft: Minor flood stage. Water reaches gravel pits between rillito river and Cortaro Road in northwest tucson. Ina Road bridge closed as a precaution.
7.98 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.69 ft	July 31, 2010
2	15.06 ft	July 31, 2006
3	14.60 ft	January 19, 1993
4	13.26 ft	July 4, 2009
5	10.64 ft	October 23, 2000
6	10.62 ft	August 26, 2003
7	10.41 ft	August 5, 2002
8	10.01 ft	January 28, 2008
9	8.13 ft	July 23, 2000

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 87° 64° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 91° 67° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 90° 72° 0.16 in, 48% Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 82° 68° 0.67 in, 71% Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 75° 64° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 77° 62° – Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 80° 63° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:32 AM Sunset 05:48 PM Daylight 11 hr, 17 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Santa Cruz River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Santa Cruz River near LochielRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	75 mi
Santa Cruz River near NogalesRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	54.0 cfs	Very high	+42.6 cfs	71 mi
Santa Cruz River at TubacRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	21.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.32 ft	51 mi
Santa Cruz River at ContinentalRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	1.13 ft	Below flood stage	±0	34 mi
Santa Cruz River at Silverlake Road, at TucsonRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	24.46 ft	No reference yet	±0	12 mi
Santa Cruz River at TucsonRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	0.00 ft	Below flood stage	+0.50 ft	11 mi
Santa Cruz River at Trico Road, near MaranaRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	2.90 ft	Below flood stage	+0.24 ft	15 mi
Santa Cruz River near LaveenRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	87 mi

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	12 mi
Sabino Creek near TucsonRiver gauge, Sabino Creek	1.10 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	17 mi
Brawley Wash near Three PointsRiver gauge, Brawley Wash	5.68 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	24 mi
Rincon Creek near TucsonRiver gauge, Rincon Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	31 mi
Pantano Wash near VailRiver gauge, Pantano Wash	0.2 cfs	Low	±0	33 mi
San Pedro River at Redington Bridge near RedingtonRiver gauge, San Pedro River	6.73 ft	Below flood stage	±0	36 mi
Barrel Canyon near SonoitaRiver gauge, Barrel Canyon	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	41 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Santa Cruz River at Cortaro?

The official flood stage is 18.50 ft. The level is currently 10.52 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 Santa Cruz River at Cortaro today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 AM MST, the water level was 7.98 ft. Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Santa Cruz River at Cortaro rising or falling?

Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Santa Cruz River at Cortaro normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Santa Cruz River at Cortaro?

The highest level on record is 16.69 ft on July 31, 2010.

Is Santa Cruz River at Cortaro expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 8.76 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 11:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09486500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.35072, -111.09587 (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	7.98 ft	2026-10-19 16:45	Provisional
Flow	23.5 cfs	2026-10-19 16:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Santa Cruz River at Cortaro (usgs:09486500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/arizona/santa-cruz-river-at-cortaro

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