Rio Grande at Embudo water level

Name: Rio Grande at Embudo 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, Rio Grande, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.52ft Up 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 10:00 AM MDT (37 min ago)

Flow: 283 cfs
Water temperature: 50 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Rio Grande at Embudo, where the gauge shows 2.52 ft.

It is 7.48 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.15 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 7.48 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 2.34 ft – 2.52 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 50 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 15.90 ftJune 19, 1903

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Homes along the Rio Grande banks at Embudo are subject to serious flooding as the river is approaching the all time record stage of 15.9 feet set in 1903. Lowland flooding is also occurring along the Rio Grande both above and below the Embudo gauging site. Sections of state route 570 from Pilar to the Taos Junction Bridge are inundated and impassable.
12.00 ft: Properties along the west bank of the river just upstream of the gage are beginning to flood. Aguas Caliente Rd Bridge is flooded, cutting off homes on west bank of river in Pilar. Water covers parts of State Road 570 above Pilar, and day use recreational sites along the river above Pilar are flooded.
10.00 ft: Access to riverside picnic facilities above Pilar but below the Taos Junction Bridge may be affected due to flooding. Water is about to flow over the Aguas Caliente Rd Bridge in Pilar. This could impact locals living on west side of Rio Grande. No significant damages are expected until the river rises to 12 feet or higher.
8.00 ft: Minor overbank flows are occurring above the Embudo gaging site. Access to riverside picnic facilities above Pilar and below the Taos Junction Bridge along State Route 570 will be limited if further rises occur. Water may be extremely close to underside of bridge over Rio Grande on Aguas Caliente Rd in Pilar. Other localized effects due to the high water levels will begin to be felt at a stage of 10 feet but no significant flooding is expected until the river rises to 12 feet.
2.52 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.90 ft	June 19, 1903
2	14.02 ft	June 16, 1921
3	13.95 ft	May 16, 1941
4	12.90 ft	May 28, 1920
5	12.32 ft	May 27, 1948
6	12.32 ft	May 20, 1987
7	12.17 ft	June 22, 1949
8	12.08 ft	June 9, 1979
9	12.02 ft	May 13, 1942
10	11.60 ft	May 11, 1985

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 67° 35° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 71° 45° – Wind 13 mph

20 Tue 69° 47° 0.09 in Wind 17 mph

21 Wed 73° 52° 0.03 in, 52% Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 68° 55° 0.86 in, 78% Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 67° 50° 0.15 in, 81% Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 65° 46° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:24 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Rio Grande

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rio Grande near CerroRiver gauge, Rio Grande	2.32 ft	Below flood stage	+0.94 ft	40 mi
Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge near TaosRiver gauge, Rio Grande	3.85 ft	Below flood stage	+0.36 ft	14 mi
Rio Grande at Otowi BridgeRiver gauge, Rio Grande	3.04 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	25 mi
Rio Grande below Cochiti DamRiver gauge, Rio Grande	2.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	45 mi
Rio Grande at Alameda Bridge at AlamedaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	549 cfs	Normal	−2.0 cfs	79 mi
Rio Grande near AlamedaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	236 cfs	Low	±0	81 mi
Rio Grande at AlbuquerqueRiver gauge, Rio Grande	2.59 ft	Below flood stage	±0	87 mi
Rio Grande at Valle De OroRiver gauge, Rio Grande	3.69 ft	No reference yet	−0.04 ft	94 mi
Rio Grande at Isleta Lakes near IsletaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	109 cfs	Low	−21.0 cfs	96 mi
Rio Grande near Bosque FarmsRiver gauge, Rio Grande	73.1 cfs	Normal	+14.8 cfs	102 mi
Rio Grande at State Highway 346 near BosqueRiver gauge, Rio Grande	167 cfs	Normal	+11.0 cfs	123 mi
Rio Grande at Bridge near EscondidaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	37.1 cfs	Low	−4.3 cfs	153 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Embudo Creek at DixonRiver gauge, Embudo Creek	9.16 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	2.8 mi
Rio Ojo Caliente at La MaderaRiver gauge, Rio Ojo Caliente	2.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Rio Chama near ChamitaRiver gauge, Rio Chama	4.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	12 mi
Nambe Falls ReservoirReservoir	6,826.72 ft	Very high		16 mi
Santa Cruz River near CundiyoRiver gauge, Santa Cruz River	20.3 cfs	High	+0.5 cfs	17 mi
Rio Pueblo near PenascoRiver gauge, Rio Pueblo	17.2 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	20 mi
Rio Pueblo De Taos below Los CordovasRiver gauge, Rio Pueblo De Taos	6.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	20 mi
Rio Grande Del Rancho near TalpaRiver gauge, Rio Grande Del Rancho	4.0 cfs	Low	−0.6 cfs	22 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Rio Grande at Embudo?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.48 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 Rio Grande at Embudo today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 10:00 AM MDT, the water level was 2.52 ft. Up 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Rio Grande at Embudo rising or falling?

Up 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Rio Grande at Embudo normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rio Grande at Embudo?

The highest level on record is 15.90 ft on June 19, 1903.

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:08279500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.20556, -105.96397 (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	2.52 ft	2026-10-19 16:00	Provisional
Flow	283 cfs	2026-10-19 16:00	Provisional
Water temperature	50 °F	2026-10-19 16:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rio Grande at Embudo (usgs:08279500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/rio-grande-at-embudo

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