Rivers in New Mexico

Pecos River 6 miles E of Artesia

Eddy County, New MexicoNWS ATSN5USGS 08396500Midland office

Below flood stage
6.72ftStage

Observed Tue, Sep 29, 10:15 PM MDT

Flood stage
12.50 ft
Record crest
16.70 ft1911

Open the live map with the river flood outlook

Flood stages and impacts

CategoryStage
Major flood18.00 ft
Moderate flood15.00 ft
Minor flood12.50 ft
Action12.00 ft
  1. 16.52 ftthe river reaches the The bottom of the instrument shelter shelf.
  2. 16.00 ftthe river reaches the I-beams of the U. S. Highway 82 bridge.
  3. 15.00 ftthe river reaches moderate flood stage, flooding the approaches of U. S. Highway 82 1/2 mile east of the bridge, as well as lower structures at Wilbank Trucking, Inc.
  4. 13.51 ftthe river reaches the floor of the instrument shelter.
  5. 12.50 ftthe river reaches minor flood stage. Structures at Wilbank Trucking, Inc., located approximately 1/4 mile east of the gage, begin to flood.
  6. 12.00 ftthe river reaches bankfull. Overbank flooding occurs about 1/2 mile upstream from the gage and spreads onto the flood plain. As a result, river width increases to approximately 1 mile in some reaches. Minor flooding of low-lying areas occurs, but no significant damage is expected.

Flood outlook

Chance of flooding, October to December

CategoryChance
Minor floodingUnder 5%
Moderate floodingUnder 5%
Major floodingUnder 5%

The three-month chances are the River Forecast Centers’ long-range flood outlook, issued September 28, 2026.

Crest history

7 crests on NOAA’s list since 1911.

#DateStage
1July 24, 191116.70 ft
2September 18, 191915.90 ft
3May 30, 193714.70 ft
4October 8, 195413.76 ft
5September 25, 194113.32 ft
6June 27, 198612.61 ft
7April 18, 1915-0.99 ft

Most recent crests

  • June 27, 1986: 12.61 ft
  • October 8, 1954: 13.76 ft
  • September 25, 1941: 13.32 ft
  • May 30, 1937: 14.70 ft
  • September 18, 1919: 15.90 ft
  • April 18, 1915: -0.99 ft
  • July 24, 1911: 16.70 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 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.