20 USGS Streamgages
Rio Grande flows and levels
Rio Grande is gauged at 20 USGS streamgages in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, each tracked by Rivermatics. The mainstem runs about 1,918 miles (3,086 km) from headwaters to outlet. It drains roughly 173,430 square miles at its outlet. The gauged reach falls about 5,606 feet, from 7,428 feet down to 1,822. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned 14-day flow outlook at 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande near Lobatos, CO | CO | 7,700 | 7,428 | 368.8 | 187.3 | — |
| Rio Grande near Cerro, NM | NM | 8,440 | 7,110 | 339.9 | 203.9 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge near Taos, NM | NM | 9,730 | 6,050 | 595 | 407.6 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande at Embudo, NM | NM | 10,400 | 5,789 | 698.9 | 444.6 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande at Valle de Oro, NM | NM | 13,100 | 4,908 | — | — | — |
| Rio Grande at Otowi Bridge, NM | NM | 14,300 | 5,492 | 1,435.7 | 1,084.2 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam, NM | NM | 14,900 | 5,229 | 1,248.7 | 894.5 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande near Alameda, NM | NM | 17,210 | 4,986 | 1,378.5 | 590.1 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande at Albuquerque, NM | NM | 17,440 | 4,949 | 1,221.3 | 612.3 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande at Isleta Lakes near Isleta, NM | NM | 17,666 | 4,896 | 806.5 | 499.2 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande near Bosque Farms, NM | NM | 17,718 | 4,860 | 473.1 | 167.8 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande at State Hwy 346 near Bosque, NM | NM | 18,406 | 4,750 | 346.1 | 122.8 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande at Bridge near Escondida, NM | NM | 28,068 | 4,619 | 458.2 | 155.4 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande above US Hwy 380 near San Antonio, NM | NM | 28,435 | 4,521 | 401.3 | 84.9 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande at Narrows In Elephant Butte Reservoir., NM | NM | 28,500 | 4,387 | 259.5 | 157.5 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande below Elephant Butte Dam, NM | NM | 29,450 | 4,243 | 1,482 | 1,729.7 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande at El Paso, TX | TX | 32,210 | 3,722 | — | — | — |
| Rio Grande at Rio Grande Village, Big Bnd NP, TX | TX | — | 1,822 | 73.5 | 305 | 14-day |
| Rio Grande below Leasburg Dam at Fort Selden, NM | NM | — | 3,960 | — | — | — |
| Rio Grande near Castolon, TX | TX | — | 2,110 | 47.9 | 227.4 | 14-day |
Typical flow by month at Rio Grande near Castolon, TX
The furthest-downstream gauge on this river, so the fullest flow it carries here. Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 19 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 | 19.8 | 178.6 | 402.8 | |
| February | 9.9 | 124.3 | 328.2 | |
| March | 6.2 | 71 | 269.4 | |
| April | 1.5 | 47.9 | 237.4 | |
| May | 0.5 | 49.7 | 1,031.3 | |
| June | 5.8 | 100.7 | 1,429.7 | |
| July | 20.7 | 227.4 | 2,073.5 | |
| August | 26.4 | 319.9 | 4,582.6 | |
| September | 60.3 | 673.1 | 7,738.7 | |
| October | 20.8 | 586.8 | 2,989.2 | |
| November | 7.3 | 310.1 | 945 | |
| December | 11.6 | 239.7 | 613.8 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does the Rio Grande run highest?
- September, on the long-term record at Rio Grande near Castolon, TX — the furthest-downstream gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river. Median daily flow there is about 673.1 cfs that month, against 47.9 cfs in April, the lowest. Upstream gauges peak on their own schedule; the table on this page gives April and July for each.
- How many gauges are on the Rio Grande?
- Rivermatics tracks 20 USGS streamgages on the Rio Grande, across Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. 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 Rio Grande?
- Yes, at 16 of the 20 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.
- Can I use Rio Grande 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.