Animas River at Durango water level

Name: Animas River at Durango 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, Animas River, Colorado, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.72ft Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:30 PM MDT (18 min ago)

Flow: 1,330 cfs
Water temperature: 46 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.84 ft by Friday, October 23 at 12:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:22 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Animas River at Durango reads 3.72 ft, a normal level.

It is 4.28 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.84 ft by Friday, October 23 at 12:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.72 ft and 4.13 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 46 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 7.40 ftMay 25, 2005
Forecast peak: 5.84 ftFriday, October 23 at 12:00 PM

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.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 8.00 ft, still 4.28 ft away.

What happens at each level

16.50 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the East 32nd Street Bridge. Devastating flooding is occurring through Durango with many buildings near the highway 160 bridge and between the Animas River and Hwy 550 south of 15th street flooded.
13.00 ft: Floodwaters are approaching the bases of several bridges in Durango including the West 9th Street Bridge the US 550 bridge and the Animas River Trail pedestrian bridges. Debris dams and backwater flooding is possible making these bridges unsafe.
12.50 ft: Large portions of the Animas River Trail and adjacent buildings and parking lots along the Animas River between the Hwy 160 bridge and the Hwy 550 bridge are flooded.
12.00 ft: Portions of the Animas River Trail are flooded with adjacent businesses and residences threatened. Major flooding is occurring north of Durango in Trimble and Hermosa. Major Flooding is occurring at the Durango Trout Hatchery.
11.00 ft: The area surrounding the Durango Fish Hatchery is flooding. Water is nearing the base of the Rio Grande Western Railroad Bridge adjacent to 15th Street.
10.00 ft: Major flooding is occurring in the Val-Air Glider field and hangars.
9.69 ft: The Dalton Ranch Golf Club is beginning to flood. Some dikes topped north of Durango.
9.00 ft: Significant overbank flow is occurring in Durango.
8.50 ft: Flooding of the Durango and Silverton narrow gauge railroad between Tacoma and Needleton is occurring.
8.00 ft: Minor flooding of agricultural lands and residential structures north of Durango is occurring. Water is nearing sections of the Rio Grande Western Railroad north of Durango.
7.00 ft: Agricultural lands north of Durango are experiencing minor flooding. Portions of the Val-Air Gliderport field are flooded.
6.00 ft: Lowland flooding is likely in the vicinity of Timble and Hermosa.
3.72 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: 7 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.40 ft	May 25, 2005
2	6.92 ft	October 7, 2006
3	6.87 ft	June 9, 2019
4	6.69 ft	June 11, 2015
5	6.60 ft	May 21, 2008
6	6.41 ft	October 14, 2025
7	6.37 ft	May 12, 2009
8	6.28 ft	June 7, 2011
9	6.23 ft	June 6, 2016
10	6.10 ft	May 29, 2010

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 64° 34° – Wind 8 mph

18 Sun 64° 43° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 63° 46° 0.02 in Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 62° 47° 0.07 in, 56% Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 66° 49° 0.50 in, 78% Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 54° 51° 0.80 in, 96% Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 54° 40° 0.33 in, 96% Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Animas River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Animas River at SilvertonRiver gauge, Animas River	156 cfs	Very high	+5.0 cfs	39 mi
Animas River below SilvertonRiver gauge, Animas River	345 cfs	Very high	−9.0 cfs	37 mi
Animas River at Tall Timber Resort above TacomaRiver gauge, Animas River	893 cfs	Very high	−81.0 cfs	23 mi
Animas River below Durango Pump Plant near DurangoRiver gauge, Animas River	1,360 cfs	Very high	−140.0 cfs	2.1 mi
Animas River near Cedar HillRiver gauge, Animas River	6.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	17 mi
Animas River below AztecRiver gauge, Animas River	1,280 cfs	Very high	−200.0 cfs	33 mi
Animas River at Penny Lane near Flora VistaRiver gauge, Animas River	6.01 ft	No reference yet	−0.18 ft	36 mi
Animas River at FarmingtonRiver gauge, Animas River	5.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	42 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Nighthorse and Ridges BasinLake	6,880.30 ft	Normal		4.3 mi
Hermosa Creek near HermosaRiver gauge, Hermosa Creek	168 cfs	Very high	−29.0 cfs	10 mi
Lemon Reservoir near DurangoReservoir, Lemon Reservoir	8,123.46 ft	Very high	+0.73 ft	14 mi
Lemon ReservoirReservoir	8,123.07 ft	Very high		14 mi
Los Pinos River near IgnacioRiver gauge, Los Pinos River	45.1 cfs	Normal	−2.2 cfs	18 mi
Vallecito ReservoirReservoir	7,647.37 ft	High		19 mi
Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near BayfieldRiver gauge, Los Pinos River	426 cfs	Very high	−37.0 cfs	22 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Animas River at Durango?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 4.28 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 Animas River at Durango today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:30 PM MDT, the water level was 3.72 ft. Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Animas River at Durango rising or falling?

Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Animas River at Durango normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Animas River at Durango?

The highest level on record is 7.40 ft on May 25, 2005.

Is Animas River at Durango expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.84 ft by Friday, October 23 at 12:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09361500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.27917, -107.87972 (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	3.72 ft	2026-10-18 20:30	Provisional
Flow	1,330 cfs	2026-10-18 20:30	Provisional
Water temperature	46 °F	2026-10-18 20:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Animas River at Durango (usgs:09361500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/animas-river-at-durango

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