USGS Streamgage 09172500
San Miguel River near Placerville, CO
San Miguel River near Placerville, CO is USGS streamgage 09172500 in Colorado, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 14030003. It sits on the San Miguel River, alongside 2 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 309 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1909. Typical flow runs near 341.8 cfs in July and 187.8 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
- Colorado
- Drainage area
- 309 sq mi
- Gauge elevation
- 7,110 ft
- Subbasin (HUC-8)
- 14030003
- Coordinates
- 38.03071, -108.11029
- USGS site number
- 09172500
- Records begin
- 1909-09-05 (117 years)
- Rivermatics forecast
- 14-day flow outlook
14-day flow forecast
Based on observations through for San Miguel River near Placerville, CO. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53.8 | 55.6 | 57.4 | ||
| 51.8 | 54.3 | 57.1 | ||
| 50.4 | 53.4 | 56.9 | ||
| 50.9 | 55.9 | 65.6 | ||
| 52.6 | 60.5 | 84 | ||
| 55.5 | 67.9 | 109 | ||
| 55.2 | 68.4 | 105 | ||
| 54.3 | 66.5 | 95.1 | ||
| 52.1 | 63.3 | 88.8 | ||
| 50.2 | 60.4 | 81.7 | ||
| 48.2 | 57.5 | 74.7 | ||
| 47 | 55.9 | 71.2 | ||
| 45.6 | 54.5 | 69.5 | ||
| 45 | 53.7 | 67.5 |
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 116 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 | 43.7 | 60.1 | 79.5 | |
| February | 46.6 | 61.3 | 80.8 | |
| March | 52.6 | 71.1 | 124.5 | |
| April | 92.2 | 187.8 | 417 | |
| May | 238.7 | 480.1 | 952.5 | |
| June | 329.4 | 723.3 | 1,254.3 | |
| July | 144.4 | 341.8 | 782 | |
| August | 90.7 | 179.1 | 350.7 | |
| September | 74.3 | 113.7 | 235.1 | |
| October | 66.1 | 97.1 | 172.9 | |
| November | 56.9 | 77.5 | 114.6 | |
| December | 47 | 62.5 | 88.5 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does San Miguel River near Placerville, CO normally run highest?
- June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 723.3 cfs, against 60.1 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 San Miguel River near Placerville, CO?
- It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 60.1 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 43.7 and 79.5 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
- How long has San Miguel River near Placerville, CO been measured?
- Discharge records at USGS site 09172500 begin in 1909, about 117 years, covering roughly 9,200 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
- Is there a flow forecast for San Miguel River near Placerville, CO?
- 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 San Miguel River near Placerville, CO?
- The gauge sits at 38.03071, -108.11029, in Colorado, in hydrologic subbasin 14030003, at an elevation of about 7,110 feet, draining roughly 309 square miles.
- Can I use San Miguel River near Placerville, CO 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 San Miguel River
Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the San Miguel River in full.
- San Miguel River near Placerville, CO this page
- San Miguel River at Brooks Bridge near Nucla, CO 743 sq mi
- San Miguel River at Uravan, CO 1,500 sq mi