TornadoLiveMap

South Platte River at Waterton — water level right now

Jefferson County, Colorado · NWS gauge WATC2
Loading the latest reading…
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current stage (ft)
 
5.5
minor flood stage
 
5.68
record crest
set 1942-04-23
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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 · 4.5
minor · 5.5
moderate · 7
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Moderate flood stage7some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage5.5low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage4.5water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
15.681942-04-23+0.18 above
24.252015-06-141.25 below
34.111995-06-201.39 below
43.461999-06-032.04 below
52.862007-05-212.64 below
62.852005-04-282.65 below
72.821998-07-312.68 below
82.712000-06-152.79 below
92.691997-06-072.81 below
102.581990-10-142.92 below
112.532019-07-062.97 below
122.532010-06-162.97 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 at Chatfield Reservoir 5 mi away · loading… Plum Creek (CO) near Sedalia 7 mi away · loading… South Platte River at South Platte 7 mi away · loading… East Plum Creek (CO) below Castle Rock 11 mi away · loading… South Platte River at Englewood 11 mi away · loading… West Plum Creek (CO) above Sedalia 11 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDWATC2
CountyJefferson
StateColorado
NWS forecast officeBoulder
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates39.488, -105.092
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 Waterton

Is South Platte River at Waterton 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 5.5 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 Waterton?

moderate flood stage 7 ft, minor flood stage 5.5 ft, action stage 4.5 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 Waterton?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 5.68 ft, reached on 1942-04-23 — that is 0.18 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.