Slate River above Baxter Gl @Hwy 135 near Crested Butte water level

Name: Slate River above Baxter Gl @Hwy 135 near Crested Butte 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, Slate River, Colorado, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

3.19ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM MDT (16 min ago)

Flow: 37.6 cfs
Water temperature: 45 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at Slate River above Baxter Gl @Hwy 135 near Crested Butte reads 3.19 ft, a normal level for late October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.17 ft and 3.26 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 45 °F.

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

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 56° 36° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 59° 37° 0.30 in, 39% Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 49° 43° 0.92 in, 95% Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 54° 40° 0.39 in, 95% Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 52° 37° 0.32 in, 67% Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 47° 33° 0.42 in, 67% Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 48° 31° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:22 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Coal Creek above McCormick Dtch at Crested ButteRiver gauge, Coal Creek	3.8 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	2.2 mi
Elk Creek at Coal Creek above Crested ButteRiver gauge, Elk Creek	0.5 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	5.7 mi
East River below Cement Creek near Crested ButteRiver gauge, East River	96.3 cfs	Normal	±0	6 mi
Ohio Creek near BaldwinRiver gauge, Ohio Creek	24.0 cfs	Normal	±0	11 mi
East River at AlmontRiver gauge, East River	2.70 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	14 mi
Taylor River at AlmontRiver gauge, Taylor River	1.45 ft	Below flood stage	±0	14 mi
Ohio Creek above Mouth near GunnisonRiver gauge, Ohio Creek	16.6 cfs	Normal	+1.2 cfs	18 mi
Taylor River below Taylor Park ReservoirRiver gauge, Taylor River	3.15 ft	Below flood stage	±0	19 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 Slate River above Baxter Gl @Hwy 135 near Crested Butte today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM MDT, the water level was 3.19 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Slate River above Baxter Gl @Hwy 135 near Crested Butte rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Slate River above Baxter Gl @Hwy 135 near Crested Butte 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:385106106571000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.85166, -106.95338 (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	3.19 ft	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Flow	37.6 cfs	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Water temperature	45 °F	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Slate River above Baxter Gl @Hwy 135 near Crested Butte (usgs:385106106571000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/slate-river-above-baxter-gl-hwy-135-near-crested-butte

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