Purgatoire River near Las Animas water level

Name: Purgatoire River near Las Animas 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, Purgatoire River, Colorado, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.53ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM MDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 14.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Purgatoire River near Las Animas, where the gauge shows 2.53 ft.

It is 6.47 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.43 ft – 2.64 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: 14.45 ftMay 30, 2021

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 9.00 ft.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Major Flood. Water threatens Highway 101 near the Highway 101 Bridge 2 miles southeast of Las Animas.
20.00 ft: Major Flood. Water nears the base of the Highway 101 Bridge 2 miles southeast of Las Animas. Major agricultural flooding.
15.00 ft: Major Flood. Major agricultural flooding occurs along the river.
12.00 ft: Moderate Flood. Moderate agricultural flooding occurs in low lying areas along the river.
9.00 ft: Minor Flood. Minor agricultural flooding occurs into low lying areas along the river.
8.00 ft: Action Stage. Minor overbank flow occurs into low spots in the main river channel.
7.00 ft: The river is bankfull.
2.53 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: 18 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.45 ft	May 30, 2021
2	12.00 ft	May 3, 1999
3	11.35 ft	July 22, 2023
4	10.52 ft	August 19, 2004
5	10.35 ft	July 6, 2023
6	10.26 ft	May 22, 2015
7	10.21 ft	August 31, 1996
8	10.20 ft	May 31, 1995
9	9.64 ft	August 12, 1997
10	9.57 ft	June 9, 2014

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 74° 43° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 75° 45° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 86° 50° – Wind 21 mph

23 Fri 81° 66° 0.02 in Wind 31 mph

24 Sat 74° 62° 0.22 in, 65% Wind 27 mph

25 Sun 65° 54° 1.17 in, 65% Wind 16 mph

26 Mon 54° 42° 0.08 in, 35% Wind 21 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 11 hr Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the Purgatoire River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Purgatoire River at MadridRiver gauge, Purgatoire River	2.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	101 mi
Purgatoire River below Trinidad LakeRiver gauge, Purgatoire River	4.01 ft	Below flood stage	±0	96 mi
Purgatoire River near ThatcherRiver gauge, Purgatoire River	6.7 cfs	Low	+0.6 cfs	60 mi
Purgatoire River at Rock Crossing near TimpasRiver gauge, Purgatoire River	7.4 cfs	Low	−1.3 cfs	36 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Arkansas River at Las AnimasRiver gauge, Arkansas River	4.7 cfs	Very low	±0	3.4 mi
John Martin Reservoir at CaddoaReservoir, John Martin Reservoir	3,805.62 ft	No reference yet	+0.03 ft	15 mi
Arkansas River below John Martin ReservoirRiver gauge, Arkansas River	23.9 cfs	Low	±0	15 mi
Timpas Creek at Mouth near SwinkRiver gauge, Timpas Creek	28.2 cfs	Very low	+2.0 cfs	25 mi
Arkansas River at LamarRiver gauge, Arkansas River	5.82 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	32 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Purgatoire River near Las Animas?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 6.47 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 Purgatoire River near Las Animas today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM MDT, the water level was 2.53 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Purgatoire River near Las Animas rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Purgatoire River near Las Animas normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Purgatoire River near Las Animas?

The highest level on record is 14.45 ft on May 30, 2021.

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:07128500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.03422, -103.20142 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	2.53 ft	2026-10-21 07:15	Provisional
Flow	14.8 cfs	2026-10-21 07:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Purgatoire River near Las Animas (usgs:07128500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/purgatoire-river-near-las-animas

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