Colorado River below Palo Verde Dam water level

Name: Colorado River below Palo Verde 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, Colorado River, California, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.19ft Down 0.50 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 PM MDT (30 min ago)

Flow: 6,650 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Colorado River below Palo Verde Dam, where the gauge shows 2.19 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.50 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is −1.39 ft – 4.91 ft.

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

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

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:59 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Colorado River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Colorado River below Imperial DamRiver gauge, Colorado River	244 cfs	Normal	−6.0 cfs	59 mi
Colorado River below Laguna DamRiver gauge, Colorado River	362 cfs	Normal	−9.0 cfs	63 mi
Colorado River below Yuma Main Canal Ww at YumaRiver gauge, Colorado River	544 cfs	Very low	−26.0 cfs	69 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Crir Lower Main Drain below Tyson Ww, near EhrenbergRiver gauge, Crir Lower Main Drain	156 cfs	Normal	−28.0 cfs	0.7 mi
Palo Verde Canal near BlytheCanal gauge, Palo Verde Canal	731 cfs	Low	+80.0 cfs	1.2 mi
Palo Verde Drain near ParkerRiver gauge, Palo Verde Drain	15.3 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	2.6 mi
Pvid F-Canal Spill near BlytheCanal gauge, Pvid F-Canal Spill	17.2 cfs	Normal	+16.9 cfs	10 mi
Pvid D23 Spill near BlytheRiver gauge, Pvid D23 Spill	0.0 cfs	Very low	−6.3 cfs	17 mi
Poston Wasteway near PostonRiver gauge, Poston Wasteway	83.8 cfs	Low	±0	19 mi
Gardner Lateral Spill near ParkerRiver gauge, Gardner Lateral Spill	14.8 cfs	High	−2.3 cfs	22 mi
Pvid C Canal Spill near BlytheCanal gauge, Pvid C Canal Spill	39.0 cfs	Normal	+7.7 cfs	22 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 Colorado River below Palo Verde Dam today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 PM MDT, the water level was 2.19 ft. Down 0.50 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Colorado River below Palo Verde Dam rising or falling?

Down 0.50 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Colorado River below Palo Verde Dam normal?

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

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:09429100 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.71914, -114.49754 (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	2.19 ft	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional
Flow	6,650 cfs	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Colorado River below Palo Verde Dam (usgs:09429100). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/colorado-river-below-palo-verde-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