Little Snake River near Lily water level

Name: Little Snake River near Lily 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, Little Snake River, Colorado, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.38ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM MDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 169 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.13 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 09:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 08:25 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Little Snake River near Lily is at 1.38 ft, in the normal range.

It is 10.62 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.13 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 09:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 1.36 ft and 4.73 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 9.80 ftJune 9, 2011
Forecast peak: 1.36 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Little Snake River near Lily

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 10.62 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: The 10 Road Bridge over the Little Snake River is flooded and impassable.
19.00 ft: Low-lying portions of 25 Road near the 10 Road bridge are beginning to flood.
18.00 ft: Water nears the bottom of the 10 Road bridge over the Little Snake River.
14.00 ft: Major flooding of agricultural land and low-lying portions of roads along the Little Snake River is occurring. Ranch land and ranch buildings along the Little Snake River between 10 Road and Hwy 318 begin to flood.
13.50 ft: Water will cover sections of Highway 318 west of Sunbeam. Farm buildings near the Hwy 318 bridge of the Little Snake River are beginning to flood.
13.00 ft: Agricultural and pastoral land in Lily Park is flooding. Moderate bank erosion is occurring. Portions of 10 Road near the Little Snake River bridge are impassable.
12.00 ft: Low-lying portions of 10 Road near bridge across the Little Snake River are beginning to flood.
10.00 ft: Minor flooding of low-lying agricultural land along the river is occurring.
7.50 ft: The Little Snake River is reaching bankfull in spots.
1.38 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

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

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.80 ft	June 9, 2011
2	7.89 ft	May 27, 2009
3	7.79 ft	June 15, 2010
4	7.78 ft	May 17, 2023
5	7.78 ft	May 9, 2016
6	7.36 ft	May 24, 2008
7	6.93 ft	May 5, 2020
8	6.65 ft	May 25, 2015
9	6.52 ft	May 31, 2014
10	6.23 ft	May 22, 2024

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 65° 39° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 63° 41° – Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 61° 49° 0.06 in, 61% Wind 17 mph

23 Fri 59° 48° 0.04 in, 61% Wind 28 mph

24 Sat 58° 43° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 52° 43° 0.18 in Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 54° 41° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Snake River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Snake River near SlaterRiver gauge, Little Snake River	3.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	74 mi
Little Snake River above Savery Cr, near SaveryRiver gauge, Little Snake River	4.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	61 mi
Little Snake River near DixonRiver gauge, Little Snake River	2.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	57 mi
Little Snake River below Dry Gulch, near BaggsRiver gauge, Little Snake River	121 cfs	Normal	−14.0 cfs	41 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yampa River at Deerlodge ParkRiver gauge, Yampa River	2.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	9 mi
Yampa River near MaybellRiver gauge, Yampa River	1.99 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	21 mi
Yellow Creek near White RiverRiver gauge, Yellow Creek	0.8 cfs	Low	−0.1 cfs	26 mi
White River below Boise Creek, near RangelyRiver gauge, White River	2.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	27 mi
Piceance Creek at White RiverRiver gauge, Piceance Creek	3.0 cfs	Very low	−0.3 cfs	34 mi
White River below MeekerRiver gauge, White River	330 cfs	Low	−8.0 cfs	40 mi
White River near MeekerRiver gauge, White River	2.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	46 mi
White River above Coal Creek near MeekerRiver gauge, White River	251 cfs	Low	±0	49 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Little Snake River near Lily?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.62 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 Little Snake River near Lily today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM MDT, the water level was 1.38 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Snake River near Lily rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Little Snake River near Lily normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Little Snake River near Lily?

The highest level on record is 9.80 ft on June 9, 2011.

Is Little Snake River near Lily expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.13 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 09:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09260000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.54902, -108.42432 (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	1.38 ft	2026-10-20 19:15	Provisional
Flow	169 cfs	2026-10-20 19:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Snake River near Lily (usgs:09260000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/little-snake-river-near-lily

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