Big Dry Creek below C-470 at Highlands Ranch water level

Name: Big Dry Creek below C-470 at Highlands Ranch 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, Big Dry Creek, Colorado, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.63ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 AM MDT (21 min ago)

Flow: 0.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

At 1.63 ft, Big Dry Creek below C-470 at Highlands Ranch is far below normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.63 ft and 1.64 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on Big Dry Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Dry Creek at WestminsterRiver gauge, Big Dry Creek	0.7 cfs	Very low	±0	24 mi
Big Dry Creek at Mouth near Fort LuptonRiver gauge, Big Dry Creek	32.5 cfs	Normal	+0.8 cfs	35 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Plum Creek at Titan Road near LouviersRiver gauge, Plum Creek	4.5 cfs	Normal	−5.1 cfs	6 mi
South Platte River below Union Ave, at Englewood, CreekRiver gauge, South Platte River	10.86 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	7 mi
Cherry Creek below Cherry Creek LakeRiver gauge, Cherry Creek	12.1 cfs	High	±0	7 mi
South Platte River at EnglewoodRiver gauge, South Platte River	33.4 cfs	Very low	+9.5 cfs	8 mi
Cherry Creek near ParkerRiver gauge, Cherry Creek	11.4 cfs	High	+3.4 cfs	8 mi
Plum Creek near SedaliaRiver gauge, Plum Creek	3.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	9 mi
East Plum Creek above Haskins Gulch near Castle RockRiver gauge, East Plum Creek	3.1 cfs	Normal	+0.3 cfs	10 mi
Toll Gate Creek above 6th Ave at AuroraRiver gauge, Toll Gate Creek	1.5 cfs	Very low	±0	13 mi

Questions and answers

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 Big Dry Creek below C-470 at Highlands Ranch today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:30 AM MDT, the water level was 1.63 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Dry Creek below C-470 at Highlands Ranch rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Big Dry Creek below C-470 at Highlands Ranch normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06710150 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.56361, -104.92750 (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	1.63 ft	2026-10-20 10:30	Provisional
Flow	0.8 cfs	2026-10-20 10:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Dry Creek below C-470 at Highlands Ranch (usgs:06710150). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/big-dry-creek-below-c-470-at-highlands-ranch

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