Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam water level

Name: Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam 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, Rio Grande, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.09ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 02:15 AM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 393 cfs
Water temperature: 62 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.10 ft by Monday, October 19 at 12:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 06:56 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam is at 2.09 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.51 ft below the flood stage of 6.60 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.10 ft by Monday, October 19 at 12:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 2.09 ft and 2.10 ft.

The water temperature at the gauge is 62 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 7.05 ftMay 31, 1984
Forecast peak: 2.10 ftMonday, October 19 at 12:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam

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

Flood stage here is 6.60 ft, 4.51 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.05 ft	May 31, 1984
2	6.20 ft	May 7, 1985
3	6.13 ft	May 31, 1979
4	6.03 ft	May 28, 1980
5	5.95 ft	June 15, 1983
6	5.74 ft	June 4, 1993
7	5.58 ft	June 1, 2005
8	5.55 ft	May 24, 2008
9	5.54 ft	May 25, 1995
10	5.16 ft	May 12, 2009

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 69° 40° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 71° 48° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 72° 52° 0.01 in, 35% Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 71° 56° 0.08 in, 41% Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 67° 58° 0.46 in, 66% Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 69° 56° 0.17 in, 72% Wind 17 mph

24 Sat 69° 53° 0.02 in, 47% Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min First quarter 57%

Map

Other gauges on the Rio Grande

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rio Grande near CerroRiver gauge, Rio Grande	2.50 ft	Below flood stage	+1.16 ft	85 mi
Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge near TaosRiver gauge, Rio Grande	3.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	58 mi
Rio Grande at EmbudoRiver gauge, Rio Grande	2.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	45 mi
Rio Grande at Otowi BridgeRiver gauge, Rio Grande	3.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	20 mi
Rio Grande at Alameda Bridge at AlamedaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	553 cfs	Normal	±0	34 mi
Rio Grande near AlamedaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	236 cfs	Low	−6.0 cfs	35 mi
Rio Grande at AlbuquerqueRiver gauge, Rio Grande	2.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	42 mi
Rio Grande at Valle De OroRiver gauge, Rio Grande	3.81 ft	No reference yet	−0.05 ft	48 mi
Rio Grande at Isleta Lakes near IsletaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	146 cfs	Low	−6.0 cfs	51 mi
Rio Grande near Bosque FarmsRiver gauge, Rio Grande	82.8 cfs	Normal	+11.3 cfs	56 mi
Rio Grande at State Highway 346 near BosqueRiver gauge, Rio Grande	175 cfs	Normal	+8.0 cfs	78 mi
Rio Grande at Bridge near EscondidaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	38.1 cfs	Low	−3.3 cfs	108 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cochiti East Side Main Canal at CochitiCanal gauge, Cochiti East Side Main Canal	46.9 cfs	Very low	±0	0.1 mi
Sile Main Canal at Head) at CochitiCanal gauge, Sile Main Canal	20.9 cfs	Low	±0	0.1 mi
Santa Fe River above Cochiti LakeRiver gauge, Santa Fe River	46.3 cfs	Very high	+2.1 cfs	7 mi
Galisteo Creek below Galisteo DamRiver gauge, Galisteo Creek	2.81 ft	Below flood stage	±0	12 mi
Jemez River Outlet below Jemez Canyon DamRiver gauge, Jemez River Outlet	0.93 ft	Below flood stage	±0	20 mi
Jemez River near JemezRiver gauge, Jemez River	3.39 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	24 mi
Rio Tesuque below Diversions near Santa FeRiver gauge, Rio Tesuque	2.4 cfs	High	−0.4 cfs	24 mi
Tesuque Creek above Diversions near Santa FeRiver gauge, Tesuque Creek	3.6 cfs	Very high	−0.4 cfs	25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam?

The official flood stage is 6.60 ft. The level is currently 4.51 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 Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:15 AM MDT, the water level was 2.09 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam?

The highest level on record is 7.05 ft on May 31, 1984.

Is Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.10 ft by Monday, October 19 at 12:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08317400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.61800, -106.32394 (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	2.09 ft	2026-10-19 08:15	Provisional
Flow	393 cfs	2026-10-19 08:15	Provisional
Water temperature	62 °F	2026-10-19 08:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam (usgs:08317400). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/rio-grande-below-cochiti-dam

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