Arkansas River at Lamar water level

Name: Arkansas River at Lamar 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, Arkansas River, Colorado, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.73ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 AM MDT (38 min ago)

Flow: 34.5 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Arkansas River at Lamar reads 5.73 ft, a normal level.

It is 5.27 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.70 ft and 5.73 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: 13.06 ftMay 27, 1996

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 11.00 ft, still 5.27 ft away.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft: Major flooding occurs in Lamar. Multiple homes and businesses are impacted. Water reaches the base of the Highway 287 Bridge.
19.00 ft: Flood waters inundate the industrial park on the north side of Lamar. Multiple businesses are impacted. Flood waters threaten The Days Inn, The Cow Palace, Ranchers Supply Company and Opals Pub. Gravel and paving operations and North Gateway Park near the Highway 287 Bridge are inundated.
18.00 ft: Flood waters threaten the All Rite Paving and Redi Mix operation on the northwest side of the Highway 287 Bridge.
17.00 ft: Flood waters reach the parking areas near the Ace Tire operation on the northeast side of the Highway 287 Bridge.
15.00 ft: Major agricultural flooding occurs. Lowlands are completely inundated. Waters begin to threaten North Gateway Park southeast of the Highway 50 bridge.
13.00 ft: Moderate lowland agricultural flooding occurs near Lamar.
11.00 ft: Minor lowland agricultural flooding occurs near Lamar.
10.00 ft: The river is bankfull. Minor overbank flow into lowlands along the river occurs near Lamar. Water flows into low lying meadows near County Road 13.
9.00 ft: Minor overbank flow into low spots along the river occurs near Lamar.
5.73 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.06 ft	May 27, 1996
2	12.79 ft	August 12, 1997
3	12.47 ft	July 31, 1998
4	11.41 ft	July 30, 2014
5	11.13 ft	July 22, 2023
6	11.11 ft	June 7, 1999
7	11.09 ft	June 4, 1995
8	11.01 ft	July 26, 2018
9	11.01 ft	July 27, 2009
10	10.74 ft	May 25, 1987

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:04 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Arkansas River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Arkansas River at Moffat Street at PuebloRiver gauge, Arkansas River	165 cfs	Normal	+17.0 cfs	108 mi
Arkansas River near AvondaleRiver gauge, Arkansas River	2.92 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	97 mi
Arkansas River at Las AnimasRiver gauge, Arkansas River	4.7 cfs	Very low	−0.3 cfs	33 mi
Arkansas River below John Martin ReservoirRiver gauge, Arkansas River	80.5 cfs	Normal	±0	17 mi
Arkansas River near GranadaRiver gauge, Arkansas River	77.8 cfs	Normal	−1.2 cfs	17 mi
Arkansas River at HollyRiver gauge, Arkansas River	95.5 cfs	Normal	−6.5 cfs	27 mi
Arkansas River near CoolidgeRiver gauge, Arkansas River	2.88 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	33 mi
Arkansas River at SyracuseRiver gauge, Arkansas River	4.67 ft	High	−0.04 ft	48 mi
Arkansas River at KendallRiver gauge, Arkansas River	6.52 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	59 mi
Arkansas River at DeerfieldRiver gauge, Arkansas River	5.95 ft	Normal	±0	82 mi
Arkansas River at Garden CityRiver gauge, Arkansas River	5.18 ft	Normal	±0	95 mi
Arkansas River at AvondaleRiver gauge, Arkansas River	9.23 ft	No reference yet	+0.05 ft	94 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
John Martin Reservoir at CaddoaReservoir, John Martin Reservoir	3,805.60 ft	No reference yet	−0.03 ft	18 mi
Wild Horse Creek above HollyRiver gauge, Wild Horse Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	26 mi
Frontier Ditch near CoolidgeCanal gauge, Frontier Ditch	9.38 ft	Low	+0.77 ft	32 mi
Purgatoire River near Las AnimasRiver gauge, Purgatoire River	2.44 ft	Below flood stage	±0	32 mi
Frontier Ditch Return near CoolidgeCanal gauge, Frontier Ditch Return	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Arkansas River at Lamar?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 5.27 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 Arkansas River at Lamar today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 AM MDT, the water level was 5.73 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Arkansas River at Lamar rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Arkansas River at Lamar normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Arkansas River at Lamar?

The highest level on record is 13.06 ft on May 27, 1996.

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:07133000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.10579, -102.61821 (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	5.73 ft	2026-10-19 09:00	Provisional
Flow	34.5 cfs	2026-10-19 09:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Arkansas River at Lamar (usgs:07133000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/arkansas-river-at-lamar

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