Rio Ojo Caliente at La Madera water level

Name: Rio Ojo Caliente at La Madera 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 Ojo Caliente, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.60ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 05:00 PM MDT (53 min ago)

Flow: 9.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Rio Ojo Caliente at La Madera is at 2.60 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.40 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.59 ft and 2.64 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: 10.32 ftAugust 25, 2025

Floating and fishing near Rio Ojo Caliente at La Madera

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

Flood stage here is 7.00 ft, 4.40 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

9.00 ft: irrgation gates and controls along the river are inundated. Some homes nearest the river are threatened or already inundated by the floodwaters. Flooding can also be expected at the confluence of the Rio Chama and further down river toward Espanola along the Rio Chama.
7.00 ft: farm and pasture land is being inundated, and irrigation channels and gates may be severely damaged if high flows persist.
6.50 ft: bankfull stage. Minor inundation due to overbank flow possible. Nuisance flooding is possible in low lying areas downstream near the confluence of the Rio Ojo Caliente and the Rio Chama.
2.60 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.32 ft	August 25, 2025
2	8.27 ft	August 14, 1994
3	7.70 ft	July 8, 1998
4	7.35 ft	July 26, 2007
5	7.15 ft	June 29, 2000
6	7.13 ft	May 9, 2017
7	6.85 ft	April 20, 2017
8	6.42 ft	April 21, 1958
9	6.33 ft	May 8, 1980
10	6.26 ft	May 6, 1985

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 65° 28° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 68° 44° – Wind 14 mph

20 Tue 68° 46° 0.02 in Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 69° 50° 0.02 in, 42% Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 59° 52° 0.79 in, 82% Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 66° 52° 0.29 in, 84% Wind 17 mph

24 Sat 65° 48° 0.04 in, 25% Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min First quarter 54%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rio Grande at EmbudoRiver gauge, Rio Grande	2.34 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Embudo Creek at DixonRiver gauge, Embudo Creek	9.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	12 mi
Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge near TaosRiver gauge, Rio Grande	3.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Rio Chama near ChamitaRiver gauge, Rio Chama	4.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	19 mi
Rio Pueblo De Taos below Los CordovasRiver gauge, Rio Pueblo De Taos	6.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	21 mi
Rio Chama below Abiquiu DamRiver gauge, Rio Chama	2.43 ft	Below flood stage	±0	22 mi
Rio Grande Del Rancho near TalpaRiver gauge, Rio Grande Del Rancho	4.2 cfs	Low	+0.2 cfs	26 mi
Nambe Falls ReservoirReservoir	6,826.72 ft	Very high		27 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Rio Ojo Caliente at La Madera?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 4.40 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 Ojo Caliente at La Madera today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:00 PM MDT, the water level was 2.60 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rio Ojo Caliente at La Madera rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Rio Ojo Caliente at La Madera normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rio Ojo Caliente at La Madera?

The highest level on record is 10.32 ft on August 25, 2025.

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:08289000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.34974, -106.04419 (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	2.60 ft	2026-10-18 23:00	Provisional
Flow	9.4 cfs	2026-10-18 23:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rio Ojo Caliente at La Madera (usgs:08289000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/rio-ojo-caliente-at-la-madera

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