Malpais Spring near Oscura water level

Name: Malpais Spring near Oscura 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, Malpais Spring, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

1.16ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 PM MDT (36 min ago)

Flow: 6.3 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

High water at Malpais Spring near Oscura: the latest reading is 1.16 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.15 ft – 1.16 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

Staying safe in high water

Flood stage is only the first threshold. Above it the National Weather Service sets moderate and major flood stages, and the forecast crest tells you which of those the river is expected to reach.

Upstream gauges on the same river usually show a rise first, which is a useful early warning.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 73° 50° – Wind 14 mph

20 Tue 74° 56° 0.02 in, 31% Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 80° 57° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 79° 67° 0.06 in, 63% Wind 17 mph

23 Fri 77° 62° 0.07 in, 70% Wind 16 mph

24 Sat 76° 60° 0.02 in, 51% Wind 14 mph

25 Sun 69° 56° 0.30 in, 30% Wind 28 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:13 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 11 hr, 15 min First quarter 62%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Salt Creek near TularosaRiver gauge, Salt Creek	0.3 cfs	Normal	+0.2 cfs	5.2 mi
Tularosa Creek near BentRiver gauge, Tularosa Creek	9.3 cfs	Low	+0.6 cfs	26 mi
Rio Ruidoso at RuidosoRiver gauge, Rio Ruidoso	10.2 cfs	Normal	−16.9 cfs	34 mi
North Fork Eagle Creek near AltoRiver gauge, North Fork Eagle Creek	1.1 cfs	Normal	+0.9 cfs	34 mi
Eagle Creek below South Fork near AltoRiver gauge, Eagle Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	35 mi
Eagle Creek at AltoRiver gauge, Eagle Creek	3.88 ft	No reference yet	−0.04 ft	37 mi
Alto Reservoir above Diversion at AltoReservoir, Alto Reservoir	4.33 ft	No reference yet	±0	37 mi
Rio Ruidoso at HollywoodRiver gauge, Rio Ruidoso	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	40 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 Malpais Spring near Oscura today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 PM MDT, the water level was 1.16 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Malpais Spring near Oscura rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Malpais Spring near Oscura normal?

Very high 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:08480594 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.28750, -106.30917 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	1.16 ft	2026-10-19 19:45	Provisional
Flow	6.3 cfs	2026-10-19 19:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Malpais Spring near Oscura (usgs:08480594). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/malpais-spring-near-oscura

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