3 USGS Streamgages · Colorado River system
Mcelmo Creek flows and levels
Mcelmo Creek is gauged at 3 USGS streamgages in Colorado and Utah, each tracked by Rivermatics. The mainstem runs about 68 miles (110 km) from headwaters to outlet. It drains into the Colorado River system. Drainage area at the gauges ranges from 234 square miles at McElmo Creek above Trail Canyon near Cortez, CO up to 720 at McElmo Creek near Bluff, Utah. The gauged reach falls about 1,178 feet, from 5,651 feet down to 4,473. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned 14-day flow outlook at 2 of them.
Gauges on this river, upstream to downstream
Ordered by drainage area, which is how far down the river each gauge sits. April and July figures are long-term median daily flows for that month from the USGS record — historical normals, not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Gauge | State | Drainage sq mi | Elevation ft | April p50 cfs | July p50 cfs | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McElmo Creek above Trail Canyon near Cortez, CO | CO | 234 | 5,651 | 18.9 | 53.7 | 14-day + temp |
| McElmo Creek near Colorado-Utah State Line | CO | 345 | 4,914 | 24.4 | 38.5 | 14-day |
| McElmo Creek near Bluff, Utah | UT | 720 | 4,473 | — | — | — |
Common questions
- How many gauges are on the Mcelmo Creek?
- Rivermatics tracks 3 USGS streamgages on the Mcelmo Creek, across Colorado and Utah. Each has its own page with the site's full flow record and monthly normals. The river may carry other gauges that publish neither daily values nor discharge statistics; those are not tracked here.
- Is there a flow forecast for the Mcelmo Creek?
- Yes, at 2 of the 3 gauges. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on each basin's observed flows, weather and snowpack, and issues a daily 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 each gauge's live screen.
- What river system is the Mcelmo Creek part of?
- The Mcelmo Creek drains into the Colorado River system — it is a tributary somewhere in that chain, following the flowpath down to its terminal river. Rivermatics builds this from the USGS/geoconnex reference-mainstem network rather than from names.
- Can I use Mcelmo Creek 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.
Other rivers in the Colorado River system
- Gila River 17 gauges
- San Juan River 10 gauges
- Animas River 9 gauges
- Gore Creek 9 gauges
- Green River 9 gauges
- Little Colorado River 9 gauges
- Virgin River 8 gauges
- Yampa River 8 gauges