Animas River level at Durango
Colorado · Tubing & floating
Measured at USGS 09361500 — ANIMAS RIVER AT DURANGO, CO · NWS forecast point DRGC2
Reading taken · as of 58 min ago
Running high and pushy for a tube or an inner-tube crowd
At 782 CFS, this gauge is in the highest 10% of the 115 years USGS has recorded for this date (1898–2026), at 227% of the 344 CFS median.
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Flood stages at Durango
National Weather Service categories for gauge DRGC2, WFO GJT. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
-
Major flood 10.5 ft · 16,890 CFS
- 11.0 ft The area surrounding the Durango Fish Hatchery is flooding. Water is nearing the base of the Rio Grande Western Railroad Bridge adjacent to 15th Street.
- 12.0 ft Portions of the Animas River Trail are flooded with adjacent businesses and residences threatened. Major flooding is occurring north of Durango in Trimble and Hermosa. Major Flooding is occurring at the Durango Trout Hatchery.
- 12.5 ft Large portions of the Animas River Trail and adjacent buildings and parking lots along the Animas River between the Hwy 160 bridge and the Hwy 550 bridge are flooded.
- 13.0 ft Floodwaters are approaching the bases of several bridges in Durango including the West 9th Street Bridge the US 550 bridge and the Animas River Trail pedestrian bridges. Debris dams and backwater flooding is possible making these bridges unsafe.
- 16.5 ft Water reaches the bottom of the East 32nd Street Bridge. Devastating flooding is occurring through Durango with many buildings near the highway 160 bridge and between the Animas River and Hwy 550 south of 15th street flooded.
-
Moderate flood 9.0 ft · 12,400 CFS
- 9.0 ft Significant overbank flow is occurring in Durango.
- 9.7 ft The Dalton Ranch Golf Club is beginning to flood. Some dikes topped north of Durango.
- 10.0 ft Major flooding is occurring in the Val-Air Glider field and hangars.
-
Minor flood 8.0 ft · 9,560 CFS
- 8.0 ft Minor flooding of agricultural lands and residential structures north of Durango is occurring. Water is nearing sections of the Rio Grande Western Railroad north of Durango.
- 8.5 ft Flooding of the Durango and Silverton narrow gauge railroad between Tacoma and Needleton is occurring.
-
Action 7.0 ft · 7,080 CFS
- 7.0 ft Agricultural lands north of Durango are experiencing minor flooding. Portions of the Val-Air Gliderport field are flooded.
- Right now 3.16 ft
NWS forecast: 3.80 ft by .
Flow history at Durango
Daily values from USGS 09361500, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for DRGC2 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Durango
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 11.00 ft | 25,000 CFS | Oct 5, 1911 |
| 9.65 ft | 20,000 CFS | Jun 29, 1927 |
| 8.83 ft | 11,600 CFS | Sep 6, 1970 |
| 8.50 ft | 12,700 CFS | Jun 19, 1949 |
| 8.12 ft | 9,360 CFS | Jun 6, 1957 |
| 7.53 ft | 7,960 CFS | May 28, 1958 |
| 7.45 ft | 8,220 CFS | Jun 11, 1980 |
| 7.40 ft | 10,500 CFS | May 14, 1941 |
| 7.40 ft | 8,550 CFS | May 25, 2005 |
| 7.38 ft | 7,950 CFS | Jun 9, 1985 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Animas River at Durango
In Colorado — the reading paddlers, anglers and outfitters here check before committing to a shuttle. Town run; tubers told to go only at or under 800 cfs.
Animas River at Durango — common questions
3 questions
Does rain upstream change Animas River at Durango quickly?
Yes. It is free-flowing, so rain upstream moves it directly. Several feet in a few hours is normal after a heavy storm.
Is Animas River at Durango high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for late September here is 344 CFS, from 115 years of record (1898–2026). Today sits in the highest 10% of those years, at 227% of the median. The comparison is what makes the raw number mean anything: the same reading is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 09361500 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for DRGC2 a few times a day — more often when the river is rising. This page refreshes from both when you open it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.