Mud Creek at State Highway 32, near Cortez water level

Name: Mud Creek at State Highway 32, near Cortez 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, Mud Creek, Colorado, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.42ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 AM MDT (58 min ago)

Flow: 1.4 cfs
Water temperature: 49 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Mud Creek at State Highway 32, near Cortez is running below normal at 1.42 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 1.42 ft and 1.47 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The water temperature at the gauge is 49 °F.

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

Floating and fishing near Mud Creek at State Highway 32, near Cortez

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.12 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 64° 34° – Wind 7 mph

18 Sun 68° 41° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 67° 44° 0.08 in Wind 13 mph

20 Tue 66° 51° 0.01 in Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 71° 54° 0.20 in, 66% Wind 19 mph

22 Thu 61° 52° 0.67 in, 89% Wind 27 mph

23 Fri 57° 45° 0.06 in, 89% Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
McElmo Creek above Trail Canyon near CortezRiver gauge, McElmo Creek	10.7 cfs	Very low	+1.2 cfs	2.4 mi
Lost Canyon Creek near DoloresRiver gauge, Lost Canyon Creek	2.14 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Dolores River at DoloresRiver gauge, Dolores River	3.32 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	14 mi
Mcphee ReservoirReservoir	6,864.99 ft	Low		17 mi
McElmo Creek near Colorado-Utah State LineRiver gauge, McElmo Creek	11.6 cfs	Very low	−1.2 cfs	19 mi
Mancos River near TowaocRiver gauge, Mancos River	4.4 cfs	Low	−4.0 cfs	20 mi
Jackson Gulch ReservoirReservoir	7,803.31 ft	Very high		22 mi
San Juan River at Four CornersRiver gauge, San Juan River	1,460 cfs	Normal	−140.0 cfs	30 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 Mud Creek at State Highway 32, near Cortez today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 AM MDT, the water level was 1.42 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Mud Creek at State Highway 32, near Cortez rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Mud Creek at State Highway 32, near Cortez normal?

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:09371492 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.31278, -108.66121 (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	1.42 ft	2026-10-20 16:30	Provisional
Flow	1.4 cfs	2026-10-20 16:30	Provisional
Water temperature	49 °F	2026-10-20 16:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mud Creek at State Highway 32, near Cortez (usgs:09371492). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/mud-creek-at-state-highway-32-near-cortez

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