Rivers in New Mexico

Rio Grande at Albuquerque

Bernalillo County, New MexicoNWS ABQN5USGS 08330000Albuquerque office

Below flood stage
4.76ftStage

Observed Tue, Sep 29, 3:15 PM MDT

Flood stage
8.00 ft
Forecast crest
7.50 ftWed, Sep 30, 12:00 AM MDT
Record crest
12.30 ft1942

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood12.50 ft
Moderate flood10.00 ft
Minor flood8.00 ft
Action8.00 ft
  1. 12.50 ftRiver levels have risen to the top of most levees and dikes and has overtopped them in several areas of the city. The flow now exceeds that observed during the big flood of 1942.
  2. 10.00 ftSignificant lowland flooding is occurring mainly outside of levee protected areas. Even those areas protected by levees and dikes should be closely monitored as the river flow now exceeds any experienced since the mid 1940s.
  3. 8.00 ftDikes and levees constructed after the floods of 1942 protect developed and personal property near the river in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Levee heights range from 8 to 12 feet. Further upriver and downriver from the dikes and levees, water is flowing over natural banks flooding agricultural and grazing lowlands. Sustained flows of 8000 to 10,000 cubic feet per second over a period of 5 to 10 days would likely result in significant bank erosion outside of levee protected areas.

Crest history

18 crests on NOAA’s list since 1942.

#DateStage
1April 24, 194212.30 ft
2August 10, 19677.82 ft
3April 24, 19857.21 ft
4May 28, 19847.17 ft
5June 1, 19796.97 ft
6May 30, 19586.80 ft
7May 11, 19946.65 ft
8May 28, 19486.61 ft
9May 10, 20176.59 ft
10June 3, 20056.51 ft
11June 23, 19496.47 ft
12May 25, 19956.35 ft
13May 25, 20086.31 ft
14June 8, 19976.21 ft
15May 22, 20106.17 ft
16May 22, 20015.83 ft
17May 28, 19995.79 ft
18September 13, 20135.74 ft

Most recent crests

  • May 10, 2017: 6.59 ft
  • September 13, 2013: 5.74 ft
  • May 22, 2010: 6.17 ft
  • May 25, 2008: 6.31 ft
  • June 3, 2005: 6.51 ft
  • May 22, 2001: 5.83 ft
  • May 28, 1999: 5.79 ft
  • June 8, 1997: 6.21 ft
  • May 25, 1995: 6.35 ft
  • May 11, 1994: 6.65 ft

Nearby

Upstream, downstream and the gauges around this one.

What this means

Forecasts by the West Gulf River Forecast Center. Forecasts are issued as needed during times of high water, but are not routinely available. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 24 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time. River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 12 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.

Sources

Stage, flood stages, impacts and crest history from NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service. Streamflow and the daily record from the U.S. Geological Survey.