TornadoLiveMap

South Platte River below Cheesman Reservoir — water level right now

Jefferson County, Colorado · NWS gauge DKRC2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
7
minor flood stage
 
13.4
record crest
set 1970-04-29
–
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 · 5
minor · 7
moderate · 9
major · 11
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage11extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage9some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage7low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage5water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
113.41970-04-29+6.4 above
28.61995-07-02+1.6 above
38.272015-06-17+1.27 above
47.141969-06-19+0.14 above
55.961984-08-221.04 below
65.191980-06-151.81 below
75.121987-05-251.88 below
85.031973-05-271.97 below
94.951988-07-012.05 below
104.791983-06-292.21 below
114.741999-06-232.26 below
124.311985-06-122.69 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 Cheesman Reservoir 0 mi away · loading… South Platte River at South Platte 15 mi away · loading… Tarryall Creek at Tarryall Reservoir 18 mi away · loading… West Plum Creek (CO) above Sedalia 20 mi away · loading… South Platte River at Waterton 21 mi away · loading… Plum Creek (CO) near Sedalia 22 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDDKRC2
CountyJefferson
StateColorado
NWS forecast officeBoulder
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates39.209, -105.268
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 below Cheesman Reservoir

Is South Platte River below Cheesman Reservoir 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 7 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 below Cheesman Reservoir?

major flood stage 11 ft, moderate flood stage 9 ft, minor flood stage 7 ft, action stage 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 below Cheesman Reservoir?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 13.4 ft, reached on 1970-04-29 — that is 6.4 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.