Uncompahgre River at Colona water level

Name: Uncompahgre River at Colona 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

3.63ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:50 PM MDT (22 min ago)

Flow: 74.1 cfs
Water temperature: 58 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.87 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:02 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Uncompahgre River at Colona is at 3.63 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.87 ft below the flood stage of 9.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.87 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 3.59 ft and 3.72 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 58 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 6.83 ftJune 18, 2015
Forecast peak: 4.87 ftFriday, October 23 at 02:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Uncompahgre River at Colona

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

Flood stage here is 9.50 ft, 5.87 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Water is overflowing the buckhorn road bridge and floods pasture lands and ranch buildings within 400 feet of the right riverbank. Water flows over properties within 150 feet of the left riverbank.
14.00 ft: Buckhorn road east of the bridge over the Uncompahgre River is flooding. River water covers portions of the pasture and ranch land with in 200 feet of the right bank of the Uncompahgre River and reaches nearby houses and farm buildings. Flood waters reach properties to the southeast of the Buckhorn road bridge.
12.50 ft: Flood waters are approaching Buckhorn Road east of the bridge over the Uncompahgre River and the house and farm buildings along the right bank near the bridge.
10.80 ft: Water is inundating outbuildings and covers large portions of the pasture and corral along the right bank.
9.50 ft: Minor flooding is occuring. The Uncompahgre River is approaching outbuildings and inundating pasture and farm land.
8.80 ft: The Uncompahgre River starts to inundate low-lying pasture land adjacent to the river banks.
8.50 ft: The Uncompahgre river reaches bankfull. Some minor flooding is occurring in low-lying marshes adjacent to the river banks.
3.63 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	6.83 ft	June 18, 2015
2	6.61 ft	June 11, 2016
3	6.46 ft	June 18, 2017
4	6.43 ft	June 22, 2024
5	6.32 ft	May 30, 2014
6	5.87 ft	May 3, 2023
7	5.80 ft	May 1, 2022
8	5.71 ft	September 6, 1970
9	5.68 ft	June 13, 1953
10	5.66 ft	June 22, 1971

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 61° 40° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 62° 43° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 64° 46° 0.02 in Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 67° 49° 0.53 in, 73% Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 63° 49° 0.17 in, 85% Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 60° 43° 0.01 in, 82% Wind 19 mph

24 Sat 57° 39° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Uncompahgre River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Uncompahgre River near OurayRiver gauge, Uncompahgre River	94.2 cfs	High	−7.8 cfs	21 mi
Uncompahgre River near RidgwayRiver gauge, Uncompahgre River	2.27 ft	Below flood stage	±0	10 mi
Uncompahgre River below Ridgway ReservoirRiver gauge, Uncompahgre River	1.93 ft	Below flood stage	±0	6 mi
Uncompahgre River at DeltaRiver gauge, Uncompahgre River	524 cfs	Normal	−3.0 cfs	33 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ridgway Reservoir near RidgwayReservoir, Ridgway Reservoir	67,230 acre‑ft	High	+180 acre‑ft	7 mi
Ridgway ReservoirReservoir	6,851.09 ft	Normal		8 mi
Dallas Creek near RidgwayRiver gauge, Dallas Creek	2.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Cimarron River near CimarronRiver gauge, Cimarron River	1.25 ft	Below flood stage	±0	14 mi
Cimarron River below Cimarron Creek at CimarronRiver gauge, Cimarron River	33.8 cfs	Normal	+1.7 cfs	15 mi
Silver Jack Reservoir near CimarronReservoir, Silver Jack Reservoir	8,860.75 ft	High	+0.27 ft	15 mi
Crystal ReservoirReservoir	6,747.71 ft	Normal		15 mi
Gunnison River below Gunnison TunnelRiver gauge, Gunnison River	213 cfs	Low	±0	15 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Uncompahgre River at Colona?

The official flood stage is 9.50 ft. The level is currently 5.87 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 at Colona today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:50 PM MDT, the water level was 3.63 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Uncompahgre River at Colona rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Uncompahgre River at Colona normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Uncompahgre River at Colona?

The highest level on record is 6.83 ft on June 18, 2015.

Is Uncompahgre River at Colona expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.87 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:09147500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.33143, -107.77922 (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	3.63 ft	2026-10-19 21:50	Provisional
Flow	74.1 cfs	2026-10-19 21:50	Provisional
Water temperature	58 °F	2026-10-19 21:50	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Uncompahgre River at Colona (usgs:09147500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/uncompahgre-river-at-colona

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