Cave Creek below Cottonwood Creek near Cave Creek water level

Name: Cave Creek below Cottonwood Creek near Cave Creek 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, Cave Creek, Arizona, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.64ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 PM MST (29 min ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.47 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 08:53 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Cave Creek below Cottonwood Creek near Cave Creek, where the gauge shows 2.64 ft.

It is 6.36 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.47 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 2.64 ft – 2.82 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.49 ftJanuary 21, 2010
Forecast peak: 5.47 ftThursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 9.00 ft.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.49 ft	January 21, 2010
2	16.40 ft	December 3, 2005
3	15.24 ft	January 8, 1993
4	12.21 ft	December 1, 2007
5	11.86 ft	January 28, 2008
6	11.60 ft	July 30, 2006
7	11.04 ft	July 31, 2007
8	9.66 ft	January 5, 1995
9	8.24 ft	February 9, 2009
10	6.47 ft	July 10, 1999

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.04 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 84° 65° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 87° 70° 1.46 in, 42% Wind 18 mph

22 Thu 73° 65° 2.68 in, 88% Wind 18 mph

23 Fri 73° 60° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 73° 60° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 75° 60° – Wind 7 mph

26 Mon 78° 62° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:38 AM Sunset 05:48 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
New River near Rock SpringsRiver gauge, New River	3.0 cfs	Very high	−0.4 cfs	10 mi
Agua Fria River near Rock SpringsRiver gauge, Agua Fria River	2.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	15 mi
Verde River below Bartlett DamRiver gauge, Verde River	782 cfs	Very high	−113.0 cfs	18 mi
Verde Rvr below Tangle Creek, above Horseshoe DamRiver gauge, Verde Rvr	482 cfs	Very high	−83.0 cfs	19 mi
Wet Bottom Creek near ChildsRiver gauge, Wet Bottom Creek	5.5 cfs	Very high	−2.0 cfs	24 mi
Sycamore Creek near Fort McDowellRiver gauge, Sycamore Creek	0.32 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	27 mi
Verde River near ScottsdaleRiver gauge, Verde River	849 cfs	Very high	+61.0 cfs	28 mi
Salt River at Priest Drive near PhoenixRiver gauge, Salt River	1.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	31 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Cave Creek below Cottonwood Creek near Cave Creek?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 6.36 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 Cave Creek below Cottonwood Creek near Cave Creek today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 PM MST, the water level was 2.64 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cave Creek below Cottonwood Creek near Cave Creek rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cave Creek below Cottonwood Creek near Cave Creek normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cave Creek below Cottonwood Creek near Cave Creek?

The highest level on record is 16.49 ft on January 21, 2010.

Is Cave Creek below Cottonwood Creek near Cave Creek expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.47 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09512280 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.88704, -111.95419 (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	2.64 ft	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cave Creek below Cottonwood Creek near Cave Creek (usgs:09512280). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/arizona/cave-creek-below-cottonwood-creek-near-cave-creek

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