Cuyama River below Buckhorn Canyon near Santa Maria water level

Name: Cuyama River below Buckhorn Canyon near Santa Maria 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, Cuyama River, California, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

5.32ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:40 AM PDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 0.2 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at Cuyama River below Buckhorn Canyon near Santa Maria reads 5.32 ft, a normal level for late October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.29 ft and 5.33 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

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:13 AM Sunset 06:20 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Cuyama River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cuyama River near VentucopaRiver gauge, Cuyama River	2.8 cfs	High	−0.2 cfs	54 mi
Cuyama River near New CuyamaRiver gauge, Cuyama River	14.66 ft	No reference yet	±0	15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Huasna River near Arroyo GrandeRiver gauge, Huasna River	0.7 cfs	High	±0	9 mi
Sisquoc River near GareyRiver gauge, Sisquoc River	6.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Santa Maria R A Suey Crossing near Santa MariaRiver gauge, Santa Maria R A Suey Crossing	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	11 mi
Orcutt Creek near OrcuttRiver gauge, Orcutt Creek	0.1 cfs	Normal	±0	18 mi
Lopez Creek near Arroyo GrandeRiver gauge, Lopez Creek	1.0 cfs	Very low	−0.4 cfs	20 mi
San Antonio Creek near CasmaliaRiver gauge, San Antonio Creek	0.3 cfs	Low	−0.2 cfs	24 mi
Santa Ynez R A H St near LompocRiver gauge, Santa Ynez R A H St	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	28 mi
Alamo Pintado Creek near SolvangRiver gauge, Alamo Pintado Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	29 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 Cuyama River below Buckhorn Canyon near Santa Maria today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:40 AM PDT, the water level was 5.32 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cuyama River below Buckhorn Canyon near Santa Maria rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cuyama River below Buckhorn Canyon near Santa Maria normal?

Normal for late 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:11136800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.02191, -120.22845 (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	5.32 ft	2026-10-21 08:40	Provisional
Flow	0.2 cfs	2026-10-21 08:40	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cuyama River below Buckhorn Canyon near Santa Maria (usgs:11136800). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/cuyama-river-below-buckhorn-canyon-near-santa-maria

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