Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near Bayfield water level

Name: Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near Bayfield 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, Los Pinos River, Colorado, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

4.47ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:45 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 362 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near Bayfield shows 4.47 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

The record high is 7.15 ft, set on October 14, 2025.

The level is falling, down 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.46 ft and 4.89 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 7.15 ftOctober 14, 2025

High water at Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near Bayfield

The National Weather Service splits flooding into minor, moderate and major flood stage, each tied to what starts to go under water at this particular gauge. Minor flooding usually means low roads, parks and farmland; major flooding reaches homes and businesses.

Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.15 ft	October 14, 2025
2	7.00 ft	October 11, 2025
3	6.88 ft	June 9, 2019
4	5.90 ft	May 17, 2023
5	5.50 ft	June 6, 2020
6	5.26 ft	May 8, 2022
7	5.26 ft	May 20, 2024
8	4.97 ft	June 6, 2021
9	4.91 ft	May 11, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 59° 41° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 61° 45° 0.36 in, 66% Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 54° 47° 2.89 in, 100% Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 55° 42° 0.23 in, 100% Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 55° 40° 0.37 in, 68% Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 53° 39° 0.07 in, 69% Wind 7 mph

26 Mon 54° 36° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Los Pinos River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Los Pinos River near IgnacioRiver gauge, Los Pinos River	50.6 cfs	Normal	+4.4 cfs	18 mi
Los Pinos River at La BocaRiver gauge, Los Pinos River	79.7 cfs	Normal	+11.7 cfs	28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Vallecito ReservoirReservoir	7,648.64 ft	Very high		2.9 mi
Vallecito Creek near BayfieldRiver gauge, Vallecito Creek	289 cfs	Very high	−25.0 cfs	4.6 mi
Lemon ReservoirReservoir	8,124.37 ft	Very high		8 mi
Lemon Reservoir near DurangoReservoir, Lemon Reservoir	8,124.93 ft	Very high	+0.60 ft	8 mi
Hermosa Creek near HermosaRiver gauge, Hermosa Creek	137 cfs	Very high	−12.0 cfs	18 mi
Animas River at Tall Timber Resort above TacomaRiver gauge, Animas River	810 cfs	Very high	−66.0 cfs	19 mi
Animas River at DurangoRiver gauge, Animas River	3.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	22 mi
Animas River below Durango Pump Plant near DurangoRiver gauge, Animas River	1,230 cfs	Very high	−30.0 cfs	23 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 Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near Bayfield today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:45 PM MDT, the water level was 4.47 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near Bayfield rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near Bayfield normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near Bayfield?

The highest level on record is 7.15 ft on October 14, 2025.

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:09352800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.41472, -107.51340 (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	4.47 ft	2026-10-21 04:45	Provisional
Flow	362 cfs	2026-10-21 04:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Los Pinos River above Vallecito Reservoir near Bayfield (usgs:09352800). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/los-pinos-river-above-vallecito-reservoir-near-bayfield

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