Black River (Upper Pecos)
Streamflow, conditions and background by watershed segment. Data through November 1, 2026.
Where it is
Segments are the HUC8 watersheds the gauges sit in, numbered upstream to downstream. Use the buttons to switch between the state and the river.
- 1Upper Pecos-Black
- river and reservoirs
- gauge
About the Black River (Upper Pecos)
This report follows 57 miles (92 km) of the Black River (Upper Pecos), all within the Upper Pecos-Black watershed segment. At the lower end of the report the river drains about 389 square miles. Downstream of the mapped reach it flows into the Pecos River. 4 gauges with at least 26 weeks of daily flow cover 1947 to 2026.
From the archive: NHDPlus river network, WBD watersheds, NHD waterbodies, TIGER urban areas and the report's gauges.
From the headwaters down
Each watershed segment in order, with last week's flow rated against the same week in 1991–2020.
Segment 1: Upper Pecos-Black
75 cfs last week much above normal, 35 dry days this year.
Water 16.6 °C at Black River At Harkey Crossing Nr Malaga, NM. Median conductance 1,530 µS/cm in the 2020s. Rain over the last 3 months: 127% of normal.
Reservoirs
No reservoir with 500 acre-feet or more of storage on this river in the National Inventory of Dams.
Water users
Surface water withdrawn, 2020
In the counties this river crosses (Eddy): 90,794 acre-feet. County totals include other streams.
| Use | Share (bar) | Share | Acre-ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irrigated agriculture | 77% | 69,614 | |
| Reservoir evaporation | 23% | 21,131 | |
| Livestock | 0% | 49 |
State Engineer, New Mexico Water Use by Categories 2020.
Irrigation districts and acequias
- Carlsbad Irrigation District (80,587 acres mapped)
State Engineer's irrigation districts and acequia layers.
Public water systems beside the river
Malaga MDWC SWA
State Engineer's public water systems layer (service areas within 2 km).
Sources
Numbered sources for the statements above, as they were read when the page was prepared.