Dolores River at Dolores water level

Name: Dolores River at Dolores 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, Dolores River, Colorado, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.27ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 PM MDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 308 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.79 ft by Friday, October 23 at 06:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 08:41 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Dolores River at Dolores, where the gauge shows 3.27 ft.

It is 4.73 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.79 ft by Friday, October 23 at 06:00 AM. The 30-day range is 3.25 ft – 3.62 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 7.84 ftMay 25, 1984
Forecast peak: 4.79 ftFriday, October 23 at 06:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 8.00 ft.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.84 ft	May 25, 1984
2	7.75 ft	May 5, 1982
3	7.26 ft	May 17, 2023
4	7.05 ft	June 9, 2019
5	7.04 ft	May 24, 2005
6	6.93 ft	May 4, 1986
7	6.88 ft	May 3, 1981
8	6.67 ft	June 17, 1995
9	6.58 ft	June 9, 1985
10	6.54 ft	May 21, 2008

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 62° 44° 0.07 in Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 61° 44° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 58° 49° 0.35 in, 88% Wind 21 mph

22 Thu 58° 48° 0.41 in, 96% Wind 27 mph

23 Fri 53° 40° 0.04 in, 93% Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 58° 37° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 61° 37° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:31 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 65%

Map

Other gauges on the Dolores River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Dolores River below RicoRiver gauge, Dolores River	2.29 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	27 mi
Dolores River at BedrockRiver gauge, Dolores River	21.3 cfs	Low	−4.0 cfs	62 mi
Dolores River near BedrockRiver gauge, Dolores River	2.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	64 mi
Dolores River near GatewayRiver gauge, Dolores River	232 cfs	High	+65.0 cfs	86 mi
Dolores River near CiscoRiver gauge, Dolores River	7.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	99 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lost Canyon Creek near DoloresRiver gauge, Lost Canyon Creek	2.15 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	2.4 mi
Mcphee ReservoirReservoir	6,864.76 ft	Low		5.2 mi
Jackson Gulch ReservoirReservoir	7,802.92 ft	High		13 mi
Mud Creek at State Highway 32, near CortezRiver gauge, Mud Creek	1.5 cfs	Low	±0	14 mi
McElmo Creek above Trail Canyon near CortezRiver gauge, McElmo Creek	9.8 cfs	Very low	−0.3 cfs	15 mi
McElmo Creek near Colorado-Utah State LineRiver gauge, McElmo Creek	11.6 cfs	Very low	−1.8 cfs	30 mi
Mancos River near TowaocRiver gauge, Mancos River	5.4 cfs	Low	−3.9 cfs	34 mi
Hermosa Creek near HermosaRiver gauge, Hermosa Creek	149 cfs	Very high	−9.0 cfs	36 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Dolores River at Dolores?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 4.73 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 Dolores River at Dolores today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 PM MDT, the water level was 3.27 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Dolores River at Dolores rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Dolores River at Dolores normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Dolores River at Dolores?

The highest level on record is 7.84 ft on May 25, 1984.

Is Dolores River at Dolores expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.79 ft by Friday, October 23 at 06:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09166500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.47250, -108.49760 (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	3.27 ft	2026-10-20 03:45	Provisional
Flow	308 cfs	2026-10-20 03:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Dolores River at Dolores (usgs:09166500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/dolores-river-at-dolores

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