How is New Mexico's water doing?
Recent flooding
Readings through Nov 4, 10:45 PM Mountain time
The Delaware River, San Juan River, Rio Chama, Animas River and Rio Ojo Caliente reached flood stage in New Mexico in the last 3 days.
Delaware River (NM) 11 miles NW of Red Bluff
Major floodPeak 32.0 ft on Nov 2, 6:50 AM. Major flood starts at 28.0 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:00 PM: 2.5 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
- Major flood
Peak 12.2 ft on Nov 2, 1:15 PM. Major flood starts at 12.0 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 8:30 AM: 5.3 ft, below flood stage. The gauge has sent nothing since. Weather Service gauge page
- Moderate flood
Peak 12.0 ft on Nov 2, 1:30 AM. Moderate flood starts at 12.0 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:00 PM: 9.5 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
- Moderate flood
Peak 13.5 ft on Nov 3, 12:15 AM. Moderate flood starts at 12.0 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:30 PM: 8.6 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
- Moderate flood
Peak 19.9 ft on Nov 3, 3:30 AM. Moderate flood starts at 18.0 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:00 PM: 13.2 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
Rio Ojo Caliente below La Madera
Minor floodPeak 8.0 ft on Nov 2, 4:15 AM. Minor flood starts at 7.0 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:00 PM: 4.3 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
- Minor flood
Peak 6.3 ft on Nov 2, 5:15 PM. Minor flood starts at 6.0 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:00 PM: 5.8 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
9 gauges upstream, in other states, also reached flood stage
Lost Canyon Creek above Dolores, CO
Major floodPeak 13.2 ft on Nov 2, 2:30 AM. Major flood starts at 10.7 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:15 PM: 6.0 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
- Major flood
Peak 26.9 ft on Nov 2, 4:30 AM. Major flood starts at 24.0 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:30 PM: 14.0 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
Animas River above Cedar Hill, CO
Major floodPeak 14.0 ft on Nov 2, 5:15 AM. Major flood starts at 12.5 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:00 PM: 8.8 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
San Juan River at Pagosa Springs, CO
Major floodPeak 13.8 ft on Nov 2, 8:15 AM. Major flood starts at 12.6 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:00 PM: 7.8 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
- Major flood
Peak 7.5 ft on Nov 2, 11:15 AM. Major flood starts at 7.0 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:15 PM: 4.8 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
- Moderate flood
Peak 8.8 ft on Nov 2, 12:30 AM. Moderate flood starts at 7.8 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 2:00 PM: 7.1 ft. The gauge has sent nothing since. Weather Service gauge page
La Plata River at Hesperus, CO
Minor floodPeak 5.8 ft on Nov 1, 11:15 PM. Minor flood starts at 5.5 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:30 PM: 4.5 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
La Plata River at State Line, CO
Minor floodPeak 10.1 ft on Nov 2, 7:45 AM. Minor flood starts at 9.0 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:30 PM: 5.9 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
- Minor flood
Peak 8.9 ft on Nov 2, 10:45 AM. Minor flood starts at 8.0 ft. Last reading Nov 4, 10:30 PM: 5.2 ft, below flood stage. Weather Service gauge page
Not a warning. This page is rebuilt at least once a day, and again when a river's flood status changes, so it can be hours out of date. For what is happening now, see the Weather Service's current river levels and its flood safety advice. These are provisional stage readings at 86 river gauges that have flood categories; rivers without one, and flash floods on small streams, are not here.
The state right now
River flow is well above normal, and it's been much warmer than usual.
Last 30 days against 1991–2020; reservoirs against the same date in other years; drought is the U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly map. Data through November 3, 2026. The line above was written by an AI from these figures. Not sure what a term means? See the glossary.
- RiversFlow compared with normalAt the state line, the five largest rivers leaving New Mexico carried 475,516 acre-feet of water in the last 30 days: 607% of the usual amount.
- Week4 of 87 rivers have a section below normal
- 30 days5 of 91 rivers have a section below normal
- 90 days15 of 93 rivers have a section below normal
- 6 months39 of 94 rivers have a section below normal
- 1 year41 of 87 rivers have a section below normal
- RainStatewide, against normal
- Week0.92 in, 372% of normal
- 30 days2.75 in, 236% of normal
- 90 days9.44 in, 185% of normal
- 6 months13.28 in, 135% of normal
- 1 year16.41 in, 114% of normal
- ReservoirsWater gained or lostThe 24 reservoirs hold 1,840,565 acre-feet. The 8 that store water for use are 34.4% full.
- WeekUp 322,075 acre-feet; 15 reservoirs gained, 2 lost
- 30 daysUp 740,750 acre-feet; 16 reservoirs gained, 1 lost
- 90 daysUp 746,556 acre-feet; 18 reservoirs gained, 2 lost
- 6 monthsUp 244,640 acre-feet; 13 reservoirs gained, 6 lost
- 1 yearUp 385,359 acre-feet; 13 reservoirs gained, 7 lost
- DroughtShare of the state, then and now22% of the state is in severe drought or worse; 90% is abnormally dry or worse. Worse than in 50% of years at this time of year (2000–2025).
- WeekSevere drought or worse: 22% now, 32% a week ago
- 30 daysSevere drought or worse: 22% now, 49% 4 weeks ago
- 90 daysSevere drought or worse: 22% now, 78% 13 weeks ago
- 6 monthsSevere drought or worse: 22% now, 81% 26 weeks ago
- 1 yearSevere drought or worse: 22% now, 47% a year ago
- TemperatureStatewide average, against normal
- Week55.5°F avg, 6.4°F warmer than normal
- 30 days58.1°F avg, 3.9°F warmer than normal
- 90 days67.8°F avg, 4.0°F warmer than normal
- 6 months70.0°F avg, 3.1°F warmer than normal
- 1 year58.7°F avg, 4.1°F warmer than normal
- SnowWater in the state's snowpackA little snow on Nov 3: out of snow season. On the highest peaks: 1,088 square miles with at least 0.4 in of water in the snow, up to 2.3 in at the snowiest spot. Averaged over the whole state that is 0.01 in. The 2025–26 winter's snow peaked on Jan 26 at 0.3 in, 48% of the usual peak: 21st highest of 23 winters since 2004.
- WeekOct 27: snow on 345 square miles of peaks, up to 1.7 in of water in the snow
- 30 daysOct 4: snow on under 1 square mile of peaks, up to 0.5 in of water in the snow
- 90 daysAug 5: no snow, out of snow season
- 6 monthsMay 7: snow on 1,074 square miles of peaks, up to 30.6 in of water in the snow
- 1 yearNov 3: no snow, out of snow season
Rivers furthest below normal, last 30 days
- Rio Grandemuch below normal, Caballo
- Tularosa Creekmuch below normal
- Canadian Riverbelow normal, Upper Canadian-Ute Reservoir
- Vermejo Riverbelow normal
- Pecos Riverbelow normal, Upper Pecos
Watersheds with the most rain compared with normal, last 30 days
- Mancos619% of normal, 7.30 in
- Middle San Juan601% of normal, 5.68 in
- Upper San Juan592% of normal, 8.90 in
- Blanco Canyon568% of normal, 5.36 in
- Animas545% of normal, 8.19 in
Reservoirs that lost the most water, last 30 days
- Nichols Reservoir−65 acre-feet