Rio Blanco
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: peak conflict Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO: 8 approved USGS daily values exceed that water year's USGS annual peak, in water year 1978 (e.g. 131 cfs on Jun 1, 1978 against a peak of 84). A day's mean cannot exceed the year's peak, so one of the two USGS records is wrong for those years; the daily values are kept.
Context (6)
Show 6 notes
- ended Discontinued gauges: 1 gauge has stopped reporting: Rio Blanco Near Pagosa Springs, CO (last 1971). Their segments rest on fewer gauges after those years.
- flatline Rio Blanco At The Mouth Near Trujillo: 1 run of 30+ days at exactly the same flow: 10.0 cfs for 47 days from Dec 27, 1973. Usually an estimated period (ice, a broken gauge) rather than measured daily flow.
- gap Rio Blanco At The Mouth Near Trujillo: 8 gaps of 60+ days inside the record (912 days in all). Longest: Nov 8, 2019 to Mar 13, 2020 (127 days); Nov 16, 2023 to Mar 14, 2024 (120 days); Nov 16, 2022 to Mar 14, 2023 (119 days).
- fallback Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO: 50% of days come from usgs; codwr 50% fill days usgs does not cover, so the source changes within the record.
- flatline Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO: 1 run of 30+ days at exactly the same flow: 21.0 cfs for 33 days from Jul 13, 1976. Below a dam this is usually a steady set release, which is real flow.
- flatline Rio Blanco Near Pagosa Springs, CO: 5 runs of 30+ days at exactly the same flow: 20.0 cfs for 48 days from Feb 1, 1958; 12.0 cfs for 32 days from Dec 21, 1935; 12.0 cfs for 31 days from Dec 1, 1943. Usually an estimated period (ice, a broken gauge) rather than measured daily flow.
Values removed (8)
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.
Show 8 removed values
| Gauge | Date | Source | cfs | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO | 1978-05-15 | codwr | 98 | automatic: daily mean above that water year's USGS peak of 84 cfs |
| Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO | 1978-05-16 | codwr | 90 | automatic: daily mean above that water year's USGS peak of 84 cfs |
| Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO | 1978-06-01 | codwr | 131 | automatic: daily mean above that water year's USGS peak of 84 cfs |
| Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO | 1978-06-02 | codwr | 92 | automatic: daily mean above that water year's USGS peak of 84 cfs |
| Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO | 1978-06-03 | codwr | 90 | automatic: daily mean above that water year's USGS peak of 84 cfs |
| Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO | 1978-06-04 | codwr | 95 | automatic: daily mean above that water year's USGS peak of 84 cfs |
| Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO | 1978-06-10 | codwr | 113 | automatic: daily mean above that water year's USGS peak of 84 cfs |
| Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO | 1978-06-11 | codwr | 97 | automatic: daily mean above that water year's USGS peak of 84 cfs |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Blanco At The Mouth Near Trujillo | Upper San Juan | codwr | 1970-11-16 | 2026-10-19 | 2786 |
| Rio Blanco Near Pagosa Springs, CO | Upper San Juan | codwr, usgs | 1935-04-29 | 1971-11-22 | 1909 |
| Rio Blanco Bel Blanco Divn Dam, Nr Pagosa Spgs, CO | Upper San Juan | codwr, usgs | 1971-03-01 | 2026-10-26 | 2905 |