TornadoLiveMap

Rio Grande below Taos — water level right now

Taos County, New Mexico · NWS gauge TJBN5
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
10
minor flood stage
 
9.41
record crest
set 1941-05-17
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 9
minor · 10
moderate · 12
major · 15
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage15extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage12some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage10low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage9water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
19.411941-05-170.59 below
29.231949-06-220.77 below
39.181948-06-070.82 below
48.921987-05-191.08 below
58.81952-05-081.2 below
68.751942-05-131.25 below
78.741995-07-061.26 below
88.691985-06-141.31 below
98.571979-06-101.43 below
108.132005-05-271.87 below
117.081997-06-062.92 below
126.792008-05-243.21 below

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Rio Pueblo De Taos below Taos 6 mi away · loading… Embudo Creek below Dixon 12 mi away · loading… Rio Grande at Embudo 14 mi away · loading… Rio Ojo Caliente below La Madera 16 mi away · loading… Rio Chama near Chamita 26 mi away · loading… Rio Grande near Cerro 29 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDTJBN5
USGS site08276500
CountyTaos
StateNew Mexico
NWS forecast officeAlbuquerque
River forecast centerWest Gulf River Forecast Center
Coordinates36.32, -105.754
Time zoneMST7MDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Rio Grande below Taos

Is Rio Grande below Taos flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 10 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Rio Grande below Taos?

major flood stage 15 ft, moderate flood stage 12 ft, minor flood stage 10 ft, action stage 9 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Rio Grande below Taos?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 9.41 ft, reached on 1941-05-17 — that is -0.59 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Albuquerque and local emergency management.