Cherry Creek near Franktown water level

Name: Cherry Creek near Franktown 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, Cherry Creek, Colorado, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.42ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 02:00 PM MDT (35 min ago)

Flow: 1.5 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Cherry Creek near Franktown is at 2.42 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.08 ft below the flood stage of 9.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.41 ft and 2.44 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: 11.13 ftJuly 2, 2006

Floating and fishing near Cherry Creek near Franktown

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

Flood stage here is 9.50 ft, 7.08 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: Major flooding occurs with widespread inundation along Cherry Creek.
12.00 ft: Homes and roads downstream near Parker may be impacted.
11.00 ft: There is extensive flooding in Castlewood Canyon. Several driveways crossing Cherry Creek in and near Prairie Canyon Ranch are also threatened.
10.50 ft: Lowland and meadow flooding occurs in Castlewood Canyon. Footbridges in the park are threatened.
9.50 ft: Flooding overtops footbridges in Castlewood Canyon State Park.
8.50 ft: Water flows into low lying areas including pastures along the creek.
2.42 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.13 ft	July 2, 2006
2	9.66 ft	July 30, 1957
3	9.61 ft	May 6, 1973
4	9.40 ft	June 1, 2009
5	9.33 ft	August 27, 2002
6	8.84 ft	July 31, 1961
7	8.16 ft	August 1, 1976
8	8.00 ft	July 18, 1966
9	7.99 ft	August 4, 2004
10	7.62 ft	March 24, 1960

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.09 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 76° 38° – Wind 17 mph

18 Sun 72° 49° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 67° 42° – Wind 15 mph

20 Tue 69° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 74° 46° – Wind 17 mph

22 Thu 71° 56° – Wind 20 mph

23 Fri 73° 42° – Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on Cherry Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cherry Creek below Cherry Creek LakeRiver gauge, Cherry Creek	12.1 cfs	High	±0	21 mi
Cherry Creek at DenverRiver gauge, Cherry Creek	17.0 cfs	Normal	±0	30 mi
Cherry Creek near ParkerRiver gauge, Cherry Creek	16.2 cfs	Very high	+4.4 cfs	11 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
East Plum Creek above Haskins Gulch near Castle RockRiver gauge, East Plum Creek	3.1 cfs	Normal	±0	9 mi
Plum Creek near SedaliaRiver gauge, Plum Creek	3.55 ft	Below flood stage	+0.10 ft	13 mi
Big Dry Creek below C-470 at Highlands RanchRiver gauge, Big Dry Creek	0.8 cfs	Very low	±0	17 mi
Plum Creek at Titan Road near LouviersRiver gauge, Plum Creek	3.0 cfs	Low	−1.8 cfs	17 mi
Monument Creek above N.gate Blvd at Usaf AcademyRiver gauge, Monument Creek	10.8 cfs	High	+1.1 cfs	23 mi
South Platte River below Union Ave, at Englewood, CreekRiver gauge, South Platte River	10.80 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	23 mi
South Platte River at EnglewoodRiver gauge, South Platte River	26.9 cfs	Very low	+3.0 cfs	25 mi
South Platte River below Brush Creek near TrumbullRiver gauge, South Platte River	80.1 cfs	Low	−24.9 cfs	25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Cherry Creek near Franktown?

The official flood stage is 9.50 ft. The level is currently 7.08 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 Cherry Creek near Franktown today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:00 PM MDT, the water level was 2.42 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cherry Creek near Franktown rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cherry Creek near Franktown normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cherry Creek near Franktown?

The highest level on record is 11.13 ft on July 2, 2006.

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:06712000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.35582, -104.76331 (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	2.42 ft	2026-10-19 20:00	Provisional
Flow	1.5 cfs	2026-10-19 20:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cherry Creek near Franktown (usgs:06712000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/cherry-creek-near-franktown

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