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Colorado River near Dotsero water level

River gauge, Colorado River, Colorado, United States

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Right now

Below flood stage

Water level

1.96ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
653 cfs
Water temperature
52 °F
5 10 Highest onrecord 12.64 ft Minor floodstage 12.00 ft

History

History
2.02.1ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 262.02.1ftOct 16Oct 21Oct 26
Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.12 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 08:42 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Colorado River near Dotsero reads 1.96 ft, a normal level.

It is 10.04 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.12 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.94 ft and 2.01 ft.

The water temperature at the gauge is 52 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record
12.64 ftJune 7, 2011
Forecast peak
2.12 ftFriday, October 23 at 02:00 PM

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 12.00 ft, still 10.04 ft away.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft
Flooding is likely along sections of Interstate 70. Major flooding in communities and along roads near the Colorado River.
19.20 ft
Major flooding of homes and property. Large portions of Buffalo Blvd and South River Road are under water. Major flooding and erosion in Glenwood Canyon.
16.50 ft
Foot bridge off of Frontage Road of downstream of Dotsero begins to flood.
16.00 ft
Houses in the Dotsero community near the Colorado River begin to flood. Sections of South River Road and Buffalo Blvd are likely flooded. Major flooding and damage to agricultural land.
14.00 ft
Flooding of stilling ponds adjacent to Twin Rivers Village. Flood waters reach yards of some homes in this area.
13.00 ft
Moderate flooding of agricultural and low lying areas between Dotsero and the upper Glenwood Canyon is possible. Large portions of the bikepath in Glenwood Canyon are flooded.
12.00 ft
Minor flooding of agricultural and low lying areas between Dotsero and the upper Glenwood Canyon is possible.
11.50 ft
Expect minor low land flooding along the river. The bike path through Glenwood Canyon is flooded in many sections.
7.10 ft
Small sections of the bike trail between the Shoshone Power Plant and the Hanging Lake Parking area begin to flood.
1.96 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
112.64 ftJune 7, 2011
212.12 ftJune 1, 2014
310.97 ftJune 8, 2010
410.32 ftJuly 1, 2019
510.30 ftJune 18, 2015
610.11 ftMay 22, 2008
710.11 ftJune 9, 2024
89.70 ftJune 10, 2016
98.91 ftJune 9, 2017
108.86 ftMay 21, 2009

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Colorado River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Colorado River below Baker Gulch near Grand LakeRiver gauge, Colorado River 4.10 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 80 mi
Colorado River below Shadow Mountain ReservoirRiver gauge, Colorado River 37.2 cfs Normal ±0 76 mi
Colorado River below Lake GranbyRiver gauge, Colorado River 23.0 cfs High ±0 73 mi
Colorado River at Windy Gap, near GranbyRiver gauge, Colorado River 3.42 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 65 mi
Colorado River near KremmlingRiver gauge, Colorado River 3.94 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 43 mi
Colorado River at Catamount BridgeRiver gauge, Colorado River 441 cfs Very low −17.0 cfs 21 mi
Colorado River below Glenwood SpringsRiver gauge, Colorado River 3.75 ft Below flood stage +0.06 ft 15 mi
Colorado River near CameoRiver gauge, Colorado River 3.47 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 69 mi
Colorado River above Gunnison River at Grand JunctionRiver gauge, Colorado River 3.29 ft No reference yet −0.05 ft 88 mi
Colorado River near Colorado-Utah State LineRiver gauge, Colorado River 3.34 ft Below flood stage −0.07 ft 110 mi
Colorado River at FruitaRiver gauge, Colorado River 8.91 ft No reference yet −0.01 ft 95 mi
Colorado River above Roaring Fork River at Glenwood SpringsRiver gauge, Colorado River 6.06 ft No reference yet +0.27 ft 15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Eagle River below GypsumRiver gauge, Eagle River 4.11 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 7 mi
Grizzly Creek near Grizzly Lake near Glenwood SpringsRiver gauge, Grizzly Creek 1.8 cfs Very high −0.1 cfs 14 mi
Roaring Fork River at Glenwood SpringsRiver gauge, Roaring Fork River 1.77 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 15 mi
Roaring Fork River near EmmaRiver gauge, Roaring Fork River 224 cfs Very low +8.0 cfs 19 mi
Eagle River below Milk Creek near WolcottRiver gauge, Eagle River 84.9 cfs Very low −5.4 cfs 19 mi
Canyon Creek near New CastleRiver gauge, Canyon Creek 38.1 cfs Very high −3.9 cfs 20 mi
Fryingpan River near RuediRiver gauge, Fryingpan River 0.99 ft Below flood stage −0.23 ft 24 mi
Ruedi ReservoirReservoir 7,679.77 ft Very low 24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Colorado River near Dotsero?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.04 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 Colorado River near Dotsero today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:00 PM MDT, the water level was 1.96 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Colorado River near Dotsero rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Colorado River near Dotsero normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Colorado River near Dotsero?

The highest level on record is 12.64 ft on June 7, 2011.

Is Colorado River near Dotsero expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.12 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:09070500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.64461, -107.07801 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 1.96 ft 2026-10-19 23:00 Provisional
Flow 653 cfs 2026-10-19 23:00 Provisional
Water temperature 52 °F 2026-10-19 23:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Colorado River near Dotsero (usgs:09070500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/colorado-river-near-dotsero

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.