Santa Fe River above Cochiti Lake water level

Name: Santa Fe River above Cochiti Lake 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, Santa Fe River, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

1.46ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 AM MDT (30 min ago)

Flow: 38.5 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

High water at Santa Fe River above Cochiti Lake: the latest reading is 1.46 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.34 ft – 1.50 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 70° 46° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 69° 51° 0.26 in, 42% Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 76° 51° 0.12 in, 43% Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 75° 58° 0.39 in, 85% Wind 22 mph

23 Fri 68° 56° 0.40 in, 85% Wind 18 mph

24 Sat 66° 51° 0.03 in, 43% Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 61° 50° 0.01 in Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:24 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on the Santa Fe River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Santa Fe River above McClure Reservoir, near Santa FeRiver gauge, Santa Fe River	3.7 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	25 mi
Santa Fe River near Santa FeRiver gauge, Santa Fe River	27.5 cfs	Very high	−3.3 cfs	24 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Galisteo Creek below Galisteo DamRiver gauge, Galisteo Creek	2.81 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	5.8 mi
Cochiti East Side Main Canal at CochitiCanal gauge, Cochiti East Side Main Canal	45.2 cfs	Very low	±0	7 mi
Rio Grande below Cochiti DamRiver gauge, Rio Grande	2.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	7 mi
Sile Main Canal at Head) at CochitiCanal gauge, Sile Main Canal	32.8 cfs	Normal	+11.9 cfs	7 mi
Jemez River Outlet below Jemez Canyon DamRiver gauge, Jemez River Outlet	0.93 ft	Below flood stage	±0	21 mi
Rio Tesuque below Diversions near Santa FeRiver gauge, Rio Tesuque	1.4 cfs	Normal	−1.0 cfs	22 mi
Tesuque Creek above Diversions near Santa FeRiver gauge, Tesuque Creek	3.3 cfs	Very high	−0.3 cfs	23 mi
Rio Grande at Otowi BridgeRiver gauge, Rio Grande	3.33 ft	Below flood stage	+0.28 ft	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 Santa Fe River above Cochiti Lake today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 AM MDT, the water level was 1.46 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Santa Fe River above Cochiti Lake rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Santa Fe River above Cochiti Lake 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:08317200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.54722, -106.22889 (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	1.46 ft	2026-10-20 11:15	Provisional
Flow	38.5 cfs	2026-10-20 11:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Santa Fe River above Cochiti Lake (usgs:08317200). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/santa-fe-river-above-cochiti-lake

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