TornadoLiveMap

South Platte River at Merino — water level right now

Logan County, Colorado · NWS gauge MRIC2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
11.5
minor flood stage
 
6.58
record crest
set 2024-05-01
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

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

action · 9
minor · 11.5
moderate · 13
major · 14.5
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage14.5extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage13some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage11.5low-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
16.582024-05-014.92 below
24.122025-05-117.38 below
33.652023-08-307.85 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

South Platte River near Balzac 13 mi away · loading… South Platte River at Fort Morgan 28 mi away · loading… South Platte River near Weldona 32 mi away · loading… South Platte River near Crook 38 mi away · loading… South Platte River near Kersey 64 mi away · loading… Cache La Poudre River (CO) near Greeley 68 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDMRIC2
CountyLogan
StateColorado
NWS forecast officeBoulder
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates40.474, -103.346
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 South Platte River at Merino

Is South Platte River at Merino 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 11.5 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for South Platte River at Merino?

major flood stage 14.5 ft, moderate flood stage 13 ft, minor flood stage 11.5 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 South Platte River at Merino?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 6.58 ft, reached on 2024-05-01 — that is -4.92 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 Boulder and local emergency management.