Clear Creek near Lawson water level

Name: Clear Creek near Lawson 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, Clear Creek, Colorado, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.68ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 AM MDT (60 min ago)

Flow: 36.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Clear Creek near Lawson reads 2.68 ft, a normal level.

It is 4.82 ft below the flood stage of 7.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.67 ft and 2.71 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: 7.11 ftJuly 8, 2011

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.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 7.50 ft, still 4.82 ft away.

What happens at each level

10.90 ft: Major life threatening flooding occurs with extensive damage to Interstate 70 between Lawson and Idaho Springs. This level represents a flood that has a 0.2-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. For more information click <a href="inundation/faq_google.php">here</a>.
9.60 ft: There is widespread major flooding of secondary roads, bridges, homes and businesses. This level represents a flood that has a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. For more information click <a href="inundation/faq_google.php">here</a>.
9.10 ft: There is flooding and damage to U.S. Highway 6 in Clear Creek Canyon. This level represents a flood that has a 2-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. For more information click <a href="inundation/faq_google.php">here</a>.
8.50 ft: There is moderate flooding in Idaho Springs. Homes begin to flood in Lawson.
7.80 ft: This level represents a flood that has a 10-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. For more information click <a href="inundation/faq_google.php">here</a>.
7.50 ft: Homes and businesses begin to flood in Idaho Springs.
7.00 ft: Water overflows into low lying areas along the creek between Lawson and Idaho springs.
2.68 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.11 ft	July 8, 2011
2	7.11 ft	June 18, 1995
3	7.04 ft	May 31, 2003
4	6.76 ft	June 22, 1997
5	6.59 ft	June 12, 2015
6	6.43 ft	June 7, 2010
7	6.42 ft	June 26, 1983
8	6.37 ft	June 3, 2014
9	6.32 ft	June 22, 1996
10	6.29 ft	July 1, 2019

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.13 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 52° 41° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 55° 40° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 55° 41° 0.05 in, 58% Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 60° 36° 0.01 in, 58% Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 51° 34° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 45° 33° 0.24 in, 37% Wind 7 mph

26 Mon 55° 32° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:19 AM Sunset 06:17 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on Clear Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Clear Creek above West Fork Clear Creek near EmpireRiver gauge, Clear Creek	3.66 ft	Below flood stage	±0	2.1 mi
Clear Creek at GoldenRiver gauge, Clear Creek	3.67 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	21 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Fork Clear Creek above Mouth near EmpireRiver gauge, West Fork Clear Creek	15.3 cfs	Low	+1.6 cfs	1.9 mi
Leavenworth Creek at Mouth near GeorgetownRiver gauge, Leavenworth Creek	3.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	7 mi
South Clear Creek above Lower Cabin Creek Reservoir Spilwy near GeorgtwnRiver gauge, South Clear Creek	2.9 cfs	Normal	±0	8 mi
Fraser River at Upper Station, near Winter ParkRiver gauge, Fraser River	3.0 cfs	Very low	±0	9 mi
South Clear Creek above Lower Cabin Creek Reservoir near GeorgetownRiver gauge, South Clear Creek	3.5 cfs	Low	±0	9 mi
North Clear Creek above Mouth near Black HawkRiver gauge, North Clear Creek	3.73 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	12 mi
Fraser River at Winter ParkRiver gauge, Fraser River	0.73 ft	Below flood stage	±0	12 mi
Vasquez Diversion 3 near Winter ParkRiver gauge, Vasquez Diversion 3	7.9 cfs	Normal	±0	12 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Clear Creek near Lawson?

The official flood stage is 7.50 ft. The level is currently 4.82 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 Clear Creek near Lawson today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 AM MDT, the water level was 2.68 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Clear Creek near Lawson rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Clear Creek near Lawson normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Clear Creek near Lawson?

The highest level on record is 7.11 ft on July 8, 2011.

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:06716500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.76583, -105.62556 (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	2.68 ft	2026-10-20 14:45	Provisional
Flow	36.0 cfs	2026-10-20 14:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Clear Creek near Lawson (usgs:06716500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/clear-creek-near-lawson

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