Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir water level

Name: Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir 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, Uncompahgre River, Colorado, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.93ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:45 AM MDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 65.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.93 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:02 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir is at 1.93 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.57 ft below the flood stage of 6.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.93 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 3.87 ftJune 9, 2010
Forecast peak: 1.93 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir

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

Flood stage here is 6.50 ft, 4.57 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: Water rises to the base of the railroad bridge near Eldredge. Walk-in campsites at Pa-co-chu-puk begin to flood.
11.00 ft: Widespread flooding of lowlands and agricultural land is occuring. Water rises to near the base of the US 550 bridge near eldredge.
9.30 ft: Water floods the river gage site.
9.00 ft: Flood waters continue to spread into low-lying areas and agricultural land along the Uncompahgre River. Water enters Pa-co-chu-puk group picnic area and parking lot.
7.50 ft: Pa-co-chu-puk group picnic pavilion begins to flood.
7.00 ft: Flood waters are spreading into low areas and agricultural adjancent to the Uncompahgre river.
6.00 ft: Water covers sections of the river-side trails in ridgway state park and floods low-lying marshy areas along the banks of the Uncompahgre River.
5.00 ft: The Uncompahgre River reaches the top of its banks. Some minor flooding of low marshy areas is occurring.
1.93 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	3.87 ft	June 9, 2010
2	3.58 ft	May 19, 2009
3	3.49 ft	June 18, 2015
4	3.46 ft	July 2, 2019
5	3.43 ft	July 7, 2011
6	3.40 ft	June 22, 2024
7	3.32 ft	June 25, 2005
8	3.32 ft	May 1, 2012
9	3.30 ft	April 26, 2022
10	3.28 ft	June 14, 2016

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 64° 43° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 65° 49° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 55° 48° 0.65 in, 83% Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 63° 43° – Wind 13 mph

24 Sat 60° 40° 0.17 in, 51% Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 58° 41° 0.13 in, 36% Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 60° 38° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the Uncompahgre River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Uncompahgre River near OurayRiver gauge, Uncompahgre River	95.8 cfs	High	+6.2 cfs	14 mi
Uncompahgre River near RidgwayRiver gauge, Uncompahgre River	2.29 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	4.0 mi
Uncompahgre River at ColonaRiver gauge, Uncompahgre River	3.66 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	6 mi
Uncompahgre River at DeltaRiver gauge, Uncompahgre River	489 cfs	Normal	−32.0 cfs	39 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ridgway Reservoir near RidgwayReservoir, Ridgway Reservoir	67,350 acre‑ft	High	+180 acre‑ft	0.3 mi
Ridgway ReservoirReservoir	6,851.09 ft	Normal		1.4 mi
Dallas Creek near RidgwayRiver gauge, Dallas Creek	2.81 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	4.3 mi
Cimarron River near CimarronRiver gauge, Cimarron River	1.24 ft	Below flood stage	±0	12 mi
Silver Jack Reservoir near CimarronReservoir, Silver Jack Reservoir	8,860.93 ft	High	+0.30 ft	12 mi
Cimarron River below Cimarron Creek at CimarronRiver gauge, Cimarron River	33.8 cfs	Normal	+0.9 cfs	18 mi
Morrow Point ReservoirReservoir	7,149.72 ft	Normal		20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir?

The official flood stage is 6.50 ft. The level is currently 4.57 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 Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:45 AM MDT, the water level was 1.93 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir?

The highest level on record is 3.87 ft on June 9, 2010.

Is Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.93 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09147025 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.24056, -107.76031 (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	1.93 ft	2026-10-20 12:45	Provisional
Flow	65.0 cfs	2026-10-20 12:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Uncompahgre River below Ridgway Reservoir (usgs:09147025). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/uncompahgre-river-below-ridgway-reservoir

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