Pecos River near Artesia water level

Name: Pecos River near Artesia 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, Pecos River, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.90ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:15 AM MDT (44 min ago)

Flow: 122 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Pecos River near Artesia, where the gauge shows 2.90 ft.

It is 9.60 ft below the flood stage of 12.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.89 ft – 3.06 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: 13.76 ftOctober 8, 1954

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 12.50 ft.

What happens at each level

16.52 ft: the river reaches the The bottom of the instrument shelter shelf.
16.00 ft: the river reaches the I-beams of the U. S. Highway 82 bridge.
15.00 ft: the river reaches moderate flood stage, flooding the approaches of U. S. Highway 82 1/2 mile east of the bridge, as well as lower structures at Wilbank Trucking, Inc.
13.51 ft: the river reaches the floor of the instrument shelter.
12.50 ft: the river reaches minor flood stage. Structures at Wilbank Trucking, Inc., located approximately 1/4 mile east of the gage, begin to flood.
12.00 ft: the river reaches bankfull. Overbank flooding occurs about 1/2 mile upstream from the gage and spreads onto the flood plain. As a result, river width increases to approximately 1 mile in some reaches. Minor flooding of low-lying areas occurs, but no significant damage is expected.
2.90 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	13.76 ft	October 8, 1954
2	12.61 ft	June 27, 1986

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 81° 53° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 84° 56° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 79° 62° – Wind 20 mph

23 Fri 80° 64° 0.27 in, 65% Wind 29 mph

24 Sat 69° 62° 0.18 in, 65% Wind 24 mph

25 Sun 65° 62° 0.04 in, 55% Wind 19 mph

26 Mon 70° 54° 0.25 in, 44% Wind 21 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:20 PM Daylight 11 hr, 14 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Pecos River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pecos River below Taiban Creek near Fort SumnerRiver gauge, Pecos River	41.4 cfs	Low	−2.0 cfs	103 mi
Pecos River near DunlapRiver gauge, Pecos River	52.3 cfs	Normal	−72.7 cfs	84 mi
Pecos River near AcmeRiver gauge, Pecos River	4.60 ft	Below flood stage	±0	51 mi
Pecos River near Lake ArthurRiver gauge, Pecos River	4.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Pecos River below Brantley Dam near CarlsbadRiver gauge, Pecos River	108 cfs	Normal	±0	21 mi
Pecos River at Damsite 3 near CarlsbadRiver gauge, Pecos River	1.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	23 mi
Pecos River below Avalon DamRiver gauge, Pecos River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	25 mi
Pecos River below Dark Canyon at CarlsbadRiver gauge, Pecos River	0.89 ft	Below flood stage	±0	30 mi
Pecos River near MalagaRiver gauge, Pecos River	2.77 ft	Below flood stage	+0.14 ft	47 mi
Pecos River at Pierce Canyon CrossingRiver gauge, Pecos River	82.0 cfs	Normal	+16.5 cfs	49 mi
Pecos River at Red BluffRiver gauge, Pecos River	3.39 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	55 mi
Pecos River near OrlaRiver gauge, Pecos River	5.48 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	73 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rio Penasco at DaytonRiver gauge, Rio Penasco	0.19 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Pecos River (Kaiser Channel) near LakewoodRiver gauge, Pecos River (Kaiser Channel)	9.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	11 mi
Fourmile Draw near LakewoodRiver gauge, Fourmile Draw	2.21 ft	Below flood stage	±0	12 mi
Brantley ReservoirReservoir	3,254.39 ft	High		21 mi
Rocky Arroyo at Highway Brd near CarlsbadRiver gauge, Rocky Arroyo	3.22 ft	Below flood stage	±0	23 mi
Avalon ReservoirReservoir	3,175.02 ft	High		25 mi
Carlsbad Main Canal at Head near CarlsbadCanal gauge, Carlsbad Main Canal	216 cfs	High	+32.0 cfs	25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Pecos River near Artesia?

The official flood stage is 12.50 ft. The level is currently 9.60 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 Pecos River near Artesia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:15 AM MDT, the water level was 2.90 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Pecos River near Artesia rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Pecos River near Artesia normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Pecos River near Artesia?

The highest level on record is 13.76 ft on October 8, 1954.

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:08396500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.84086, -104.32383 (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	2.90 ft	2026-10-20 16:15	Provisional
Flow	122 cfs	2026-10-20 16:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Pecos River near Artesia (usgs:08396500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/pecos-river-near-artesia

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