USGS Streamgage 08397600
Rio Penasco near Dunken, NM
Rio Penasco near Dunken, NM is USGS streamgage 08397600 in New Mexico, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 13060010. It sits on the Rio Penasco, alongside 2 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 583 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1941. Typical flow runs near 20.6 cfs in July and 15.6 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in July. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead.
View live conditions & forecast →
Gauge details
- State
- New Mexico
- Drainage area
- 583 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 5,237 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 13060010
- Coordinates
- 32.88153, -105.17806
- USGS site number
- 08397600
- Records begin
- 1941-09-22 (85 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for Rio Penasco near Dunken, 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.
| Date | Low p10 | Expected p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3.7 | 4.2 | ||
| 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.7 | ||
| 2.3 | 3.6 | 5.4 | ||
| 1.8 | 3.6 | 6 | ||
| 1.9 | 3.6 | 7.1 | ||
| 1.8 | 3.6 | 7.2 | ||
| 1.5 | 3.5 | 6.8 | ||
| 1.5 | 3.5 | 7.4 | ||
| 1.6 | 3.7 | 8.9 | ||
| 1.5 | 3.7 | 9.1 | ||
| 1.4 | 3.7 | 9.3 | ||
| 1.4 | 3.8 | 8.8 | ||
| 1.3 | 3.7 | 7.6 | ||
| 1.4 | 3.8 | 7.6 |
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 22 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10.7 | 30.3 | 54.1 | |
| February | 9.7 | 28.9 | 52 | |
| March | 5.2 | 22.1 | 43.2 | |
| April | 1 | 15.6 | 36.5 | |
| May | 1.3 | 16 | 34.4 | |
| June | 0.8 | 14.8 | 46.5 | |
| July | 1.8 | 20.6 | 53 | |
| August | 7.2 | 26.2 | 65.7 | |
| September | 7.5 | 26 | 58.3 | |
| October | 8.7 | 24.8 | 46.7 | |
| November | 9.2 | 28.3 | 50 | |
| December | 12.3 | 28.7 | 53.4 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does Rio Penasco near Dunken, NM normally run highest?
- January, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 30.3 cfs, against 14.8 cfs in June, 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 Penasco near Dunken, NM?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 30.3 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 10.7 and 54.1 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has Rio Penasco near Dunken, NM been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 08397600 begin in 1941, about 85 years, covering roughly 7,775 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 Penasco near Dunken, 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 Penasco near Dunken, NM?
- The gauge sits at 32.88153, -105.17806, in New Mexico, in hydrologic subbasin 13060010, at an elevation of about 5,237 feet, draining roughly 583 square miles.
- Can I use Rio Penasco near Dunken, 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 Penasco
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the Rio Penasco in full.
- Rio Penasco near Dunken, NM this page
- Rio Penasco near Hope, NM 675 sq mi
- Rio Penasco at Dayton, NM 1,060 sq mi