South Platte River at Fort Lupton water level

Name: South Platte River at Fort Lupton 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, South Platte River, Colorado, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.38ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:00 AM MDT (32 min ago)

Flow: 143 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at South Platte River at Fort Lupton reads 3.38 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.62 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.28 ft and 3.64 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: 10.98 ftSeptember 13, 2013

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 11.00 ft, still 7.62 ft away.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Numerous roads along and crossing the river are damaged and impassable. There is extensive flooding of agricultural land and inundation of structures near the river.
14.00 ft: Significant flooding is likely, including some structures near the river between Fort Lupton and Platteville.
13.00 ft: Water flows over or around several bridges crossing the river. There is moderate flooding and damage to agricultural lands.
12.00 ft: Significant lowland flooding occurs.
11.00 ft: The river overflows its banks flooding agricultural lands. This level represents a flood that has a 10-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. For more information click <a href="inundation/faq_google.php">here</a>.
10.00 ft: High flows begin to affect rural lowlands immediately adjacent to the river.
3.38 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.98 ft	September 13, 2013
2	10.82 ft	June 12, 2015
3	10.44 ft	April 25, 2007
4	9.93 ft	August 19, 2004
5	9.81 ft	July 13, 2011
6	9.71 ft	April 24, 2010
7	9.70 ft	June 2, 2009
8	9.12 ft	August 5, 2005
9	9.06 ft	July 31, 2014
10	8.99 ft	August 16, 2008

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 73° 41° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 73° 42° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 70° 54° 0.00 in Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 81° 52° – Wind 25 mph

24 Sat 63° 44° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 50° 41° 0.35 in Wind 13 mph

26 Mon 41° 36° 0.03 in Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on the South Platte River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Platte River below Brush Creek near TrumbullRiver gauge, South Platte River	59.2 cfs	Low	−20.9 cfs	63 mi
South Platte River below Union Ave, at Englewood, CreekRiver gauge, South Platte River	10.85 ft	Below flood stage	±0	35 mi
South Platte River at EnglewoodRiver gauge, South Platte River	31.7 cfs	Very low	+6.3 cfs	33 mi
South Platte River at 64th Ave. Commerce CityRiver gauge, South Platte River	6.0 cfs	Low	±0	22 mi
South Platte River at Fort MorganRiver gauge, South Platte River	9.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	55 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Dry Creek at Mouth near Fort LuptonRiver gauge, Big Dry Creek	30.2 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	3.3 mi
St Vrain Creek below Boulder Creek at Highway 119 near LongmontRiver gauge, St Vrain Creek	9.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Boulder Creek at Mouth near LongmontRiver gauge, Boulder Creek	0.7 cfs	Very low	−0.2 cfs	11 mi
Left Hand Creek at Hover Road near LongmontRiver gauge, Left Hand Creek	0.8 cfs	Very low	+0.1 cfs	17 mi
Big Dry Creek at WestminsterRiver gauge, Big Dry Creek	0.6 cfs	Very low	−0.1 cfs	19 mi
Boulder Creek at North 75th St. near BoulderRiver gauge, Boulder Creek	4.21 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	20 mi
First Creek Bel Buckley Road, at Rocky Mountain ArsenalRiver gauge, First Creek Bel Buckley Road	1.9 cfs	High	+0.1 cfs	21 mi
Big Thompson River at LovelandRiver gauge, Big Thompson River	0.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Platte River at Fort Lupton?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.62 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 South Platte River at Fort Lupton today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:00 AM MDT, the water level was 3.38 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Platte River at Fort Lupton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Platte River at Fort Lupton normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Platte River at Fort Lupton?

The highest level on record is 10.98 ft on September 13, 2013.

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:06721000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.11611, -104.81806 (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	3.38 ft	2026-10-20 15:00	Provisional
Flow	143 cfs	2026-10-20 15:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Platte River at Fort Lupton (usgs:06721000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/south-platte-river-at-fort-lupton

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