La Plata River at La Plata water level

Name: La Plata River at La Plata 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, La Plata River, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

9.09ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:15 AM MDT (28 min ago)

Flow: 10.5 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

High water at La Plata River at La Plata: the latest reading is 9.09 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

The record high is 11.34 ft, set on September 9, 2003.

It is still going down, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 9.05 ft – 9.44 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.34 ftSeptember 9, 2003

Staying safe in high water

Flood stage is only the first threshold. Above it the National Weather Service sets moderate and major flood stages, and the forecast crest tells you which of those the river is expected to reach.

Upstream gauges on the same river usually show a rise first, which is a useful early warning.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.34 ft	September 9, 2003

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 65° 38° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 67° 44° 0.04 in Wind 13 mph

20 Tue 66° 48° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 63° 54° 0.11 in, 85% Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 58° 52° 0.87 in, 98% Wind 21 mph

23 Fri 59° 48° 0.04 in, 87% Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 63° 44° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the La Plata River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
La Plata River near FarmingtonRiver gauge, La Plata River	17.1 cfs	High	+2.6 cfs	14 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Animas River below AztecRiver gauge, Animas River	1,190 cfs	Very high	−150.0 cfs	12 mi
Animas River at FarmingtonRiver gauge, Animas River	5.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	14 mi
San Juan River at FarmingtonRiver gauge, San Juan River	2.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	15 mi
Animas River near Cedar HillRiver gauge, Animas River	5.87 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	19 mi
San Juan River at BloomfieldRiver gauge, San Juan River	173 cfs	Very low	−20.0 cfs	20 mi
Lake Nighthorse and Ridges BasinLake	6,880.30 ft	Normal		25 mi
Animas River below Durango Pump Plant near DurangoRiver gauge, Animas River	1,290 cfs	Very high	−130.0 cfs	28 mi
San Juan River near ArchuletaRiver gauge, San Juan River	3.86 ft	Below flood stage	±0	28 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 La Plata River at La Plata today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:15 AM MDT, the water level was 9.09 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is La Plata River at La Plata rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of La Plata River at La Plata normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at La Plata River at La Plata?

The highest level on record is 11.34 ft on September 9, 2003.

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:09367000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.93092, -108.18464 (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	9.09 ft	2026-10-19 15:15	Provisional
Flow	10.5 cfs	2026-10-19 15:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: La Plata River at La Plata (usgs:09367000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/la-plata-river-at-la-plata

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