Rio Chama below El Vado Dam, NM

Gauge details

State

New Mexico

Drainage area

877 sq mi

Gauge elevation

6,696 ft

Subbasin (HUC-8)

13020102

Coordinates

36.58038, -106.72477

USGS site number

08285500

Records begin

1914-05-10 (112 years)

Rivermatics forecast

14-day flow outlook

14-day flow forecast

Based on observations through September 15 for Rio Chama below El Vado Dam, NM. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.

All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.

Typical flow by month

Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 56 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.

All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).

Common questions

When does Rio Chama below El Vado Dam, NM normally run highest?

May, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 974.1 cfs, against 104.2 cfs in January, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.

What is a normal flow for Rio Chama below El Vado Dam, NM?

It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 104.2 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 32.4 and 247.4 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.

How long has Rio Chama below El Vado Dam, NM been measured?

Discharge records at USGS site 08285500 begin in 1914, about 112 years, covering roughly 9,130 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.

Is there a flow forecast for Rio Chama below El Vado Dam, NM?

Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.

Where is Rio Chama below El Vado Dam, NM?

The gauge sits at 36.58038, -106.72477, in New Mexico, in hydrologic subbasin 13020102, at an elevation of about 6,696 feet, draining roughly 877 square miles.

Can I use Rio Chama below El Vado Dam, NM data for flood or safety decisions?

No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.

Upstream and downstream on the Rio Chama

Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Rio Chama in full.

• Rio Chama above Chama, NM 95 sq mi
• Rio Chama near La Puente, NM 480 sq mi
• Rio Chama below El Vado Dam, NM this page
• Rio Chama above Abiquiu Reservoir, NM 1,600 sq mi
• Rio Chama below Abiquiu Dam, NM 2,147 sq mi
• Rio Chama near Chamita, NM 3,144 sq mi

Other gauges in this subbasin

• Rio Chama above Abiquiu Reservoir, NM
• Rio Chama below Abiquiu Dam, NM
• Rio Ojo Caliente at La Madera, NM
• Rio Chama near Chamita, NM
• Rio Chama above Chama, NM
• Rio Brazos at Fishtail Road near Tierra Amarilla, NM
• Rio Chama near La Puente, NM