Mora River at La Cueva water level

Name: Mora River at La Cueva 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, Mora River, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.49ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 AM MDT (51 min ago)

Flow: 0.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Mora River at La Cueva, where the gauge shows 4.49 ft.

It is 6.51 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.49 ft – 4.59 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.00 ftSeptember 29, 1904

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 11.00 ft.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: The greatest flood since at least 1913 is in progress near and downstream from La Cueva. Backwater flooding may result in water flowing onto state road 442 near its intersection with highway 518 at La Cueva, halting traffic. Nearby and downstream private river crossings may become unsafe or impassable due to high water although public bridges may remain passable. Significant inundation of pasture and range land persists.
11.00 ft: Pasture and range land both upstream and downstream from the La Cueva river gaging site is becoming further inundated as the river has overtopped its natural banks. Water is still passing under the state highway 518 bridge at La Cueva but smaller private bridge crossings downstream may be overtopped by high water. Irrigation systems may also be damaged.
4.49 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.00 ft	September 29, 1904
2	8.33 ft	June 16, 1963
3	8.22 ft	June 17, 1965
4	8.08 ft	September 13, 2013
5	7.92 ft	August 1, 2010
6	7.63 ft	June 17, 2015
7	7.18 ft	August 1, 1951
8	7.07 ft	July 11, 1955
9	6.61 ft	June 7, 2014
10	6.58 ft	July 23, 1978

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:11 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min First quarter 47%

Map

Other gauges on the Mora River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mora River near GolondrinasRiver gauge, Mora River	1.35 ft	Below flood stage	±0	6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Coyote Creek near GolondrinasRiver gauge, Coyote Creek	1.0 cfs	Low	±0	5.5 mi
Rio La Casa above ClevelandRiver gauge, Rio La Casa	10.23 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	9 mi
La Sierra Ditch near HolmanCanal gauge, La Sierra Ditch	2.1 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	13 mi
Gallinas Creek near MontezumaRiver gauge, Gallinas Creek	1.38 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	21 mi
Rio Pueblo near PenascoRiver gauge, Rio Pueblo	17.9 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	25 mi
Rio Mora near TerreroRiver gauge, Rio Mora	38.2 cfs	Very high	−1.7 cfs	25 mi
Pecos River near PecosRiver gauge, Pecos River	2.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	29 mi
Rio Grande Del Rancho near TalpaRiver gauge, Rio Grande Del Rancho	4.0 cfs	Low	±0	31 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Mora River at La Cueva?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 6.51 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 Mora River at La Cueva today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 AM MDT, the water level was 4.49 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Mora River at La Cueva rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Mora River at La Cueva normal?

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

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

The highest level on record is 16.00 ft on September 29, 1904.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07215500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.94512, -105.25573 (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	4.49 ft	2026-10-18 06:15	Provisional
Flow	0.4 cfs	2026-10-18 06:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mora River at La Cueva (usgs:07215500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/mora-river-at-la-cueva

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