La Plata River
Streamflow, conditions and background by watershed segment. Data through November 1, 2026.
Data gaps and disparities
Found automatically in the gauge records behind this river, and notes from a reviewer who checked them against other sources. Gauges need at least 26 weeks of daily data to appear on the Flow tab.
Warnings (1)
- warning: gap La Plata River Near Farmington, NM: 2 gaps of 60+ days inside the record (1,410 days in all). Longest: Sep 17, 2020 to Nov 18, 2022 (793 days); Sep 30, 2003 to Jun 7, 2005 (617 days).
Context (14)
Show 14 notes
- ended Discontinued gauges: 1 gauge has stopped reporting: La Plata River Below Mouth Long Hollow Near Red Mesa, CO (last 2026). Their segments rest on fewer gauges after those years.
- flatline La Plata River At Colorado-New Mexico State Line: 32 runs of 30+ days at exactly the same flow: 6.0 cfs for 65 days from Nov 28, 1934; 3.5 cfs for 62 days from Dec 1, 1963; 5.5 cfs for 60 days from Jan 1, 1960. Usually an estimated period (ice, a broken gauge) rather than measured daily flow.
- zero run La Plata River At Colorado-New Mexico State Line: 1 run of 60+ days at zero flow; longest 68 days from Aug 17, 1956. Usually real (a dry channel or no release), not missing data.
- flatline La Plata River At Hesperus, CO: 81 runs of 30+ days at exactly the same flow: 3.5 cfs for 120 days from Nov 1, 1917; 5.0 cfs for 92 days from Nov 1, 1933; 4.0 cfs for 62 days from Dec 1, 1922. Usually an estimated period (ice, a broken gauge) rather than measured daily flow.
- zero run La Plata River At La Plata, NM: 1 run of 60+ days at zero flow; longest 64 days from Sep 10, 2018. Usually real (a dry channel or no release), not missing data.
- flatline La Plata River Below Mouth Long Hollow Near Red Mesa, CO: 2 runs of 30+ days at exactly the same flow: 3.3 cfs for 62 days from Sep 29, 2020; 3.0 cfs for 45 days from Oct 8, 2021. Usually an estimated period (ice, a broken gauge) rather than measured daily flow.
- gap La Plata River Below Mouth Long Hollow Near Red Mesa, CO: 4 gaps of 60+ days inside the record (731 days in all). Longest: Feb 26, 2025 to Dec 1, 2025 (279 days); Mar 9, 2024 to Dec 1, 2024 (268 days); Aug 22, 2023 to Dec 10, 2023 (111 days).
- flatline La Plata River Below Mouth Of Cherry Creek Near Red Mesa: 1 run of 30+ days at exactly the same flow: 2.7 cfs for 52 days from Jan 1, 2011. Usually an estimated period (ice, a broken gauge) rather than measured daily flow.
- gap La Plata River Below Mouth Of Cherry Creek Near Red Mesa: 3 gaps of 60+ days inside the record (245 days in all). Longest: Nov 28, 2015 to Feb 29, 2016 (94 days); Dec 15, 2022 to Mar 12, 2023 (88 days); Dec 15, 2017 to Feb 15, 2018 (63 days).
- zero run La Plata River Below Mouth Of Cherry Creek Near Red Mesa: 10 runs of 60+ days at zero flow; longest 274 days from Jul 31, 2020; 224 days from Aug 5, 2021. Usually real (a dry channel or no release), not missing data.
- flatline La Plata River Near Breen: 2 runs of 30+ days at exactly the same flow: 8.6 cfs for 91 days from Dec 25, 2007; 2.0 cfs for 70 days from Dec 14, 2015. Usually an estimated period (ice, a broken gauge) rather than measured daily flow.
- gap La Plata River Near Breen: 10 gaps of 60+ days inside the record (896 days in all). Longest: Nov 27, 2023 to Mar 14, 2024 (109 days); Dec 15, 2022 to Mar 28, 2023 (104 days); Dec 16, 2008 to Mar 19, 2009 (94 days).
- zero run La Plata River Near Breen: 11 runs of 60+ days at zero flow; longest 271 days from Jun 23, 2012; 174 days from Aug 3, 2020. Usually real (a dry channel or no release), not missing data.
- zero run La Plata River Near Farmington, NM: 9 runs of 60+ days at zero flow; longest 140 days from Aug 29, 1955; 138 days from Aug 23, 1956. Usually real (a dry channel or no release), not missing data.
Values removed (0)
A reading is removed automatically only when it is impossible (for example, a daily mean above the highest flow USGS recorded that water year). Low and zero flows are never removed: rivers here really do dry up.
None.
Gauges
Each row is one physical gauge; "published by" lists every agency copy that was merged into it.
| Gauge | Segment | Published by | First | Last | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Plata River At Hesperus, CO | Middle San Juan | codwr, nwps, usgs | 1917-10-01 | 2026-10-26 | 5692 |
| La Plata River Near Breen | Middle San Juan | codwr | 2007-03-05 | 2026-10-26 | 881 |
| La Plata River Below Mouth Of Cherry Creek Near Red Mesa | Middle San Juan | codwr | 2007-03-05 | 2026-10-26 | 980 |
| La Plata River Below Mouth Long Hollow Near Red Mesa, CO | Middle San Juan | codwr | 2015-02-02 | 2026-03-16 | 458 |
| La Plata River At Colorado-New Mexico State Line | Middle San Juan | codwr, nwps, usgs | 1920-10-04 | 2026-10-26 | 5535 |
| La Plata River At La Plata, NM | Middle San Juan | codwr, nwps, usgs | 2002-12-16 | 2026-10-26 | 1245 |
| La Plata River Near Farmington, NM | Middle San Juan | codwr, nwps, usgs | 1938-02-28 | 2026-10-26 | 4425 |