Uncompahgre River near Ridgway, CO
River level and flood forecast · Ouray County
Normal2.1 ftas of Mon 2 PM
The river is 3.7 ft below flood stage (5.8 ft).
Forecast to hold near 2.1 ft through Mon, Oct 19, 6 AM.
Flow: 82 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 11:22 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 10 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 8 ft |
| Flood stage | 5.8 ft |
| Action stage | 5 ft |
| Record crest (June 5, 2010) | 5.54 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 12.6 ftWater will rise to the base of the County Road 24 Bridge 2.4 miles northeast of Ridgway.
- 11 ftWater will inundate sections of Highway 550 near Dexter Creek.
- 10 ftWater will move into the residential area near Dexter Creek.
- 9 ftWater will affect the KOA campground on County Road 23 at Portland.
- 8 ftWater will affect some houses and outbuildings along the river above Ridgway Dam.
- 7 ftConsiderable agricultural flooding can be expected near Orvis Hot Springs.
- 6 ftMinor lowland flooding can be excpected near Orvis Hot Springs.
Highest crests on record
- 5.54 ft — June 5, 2010
- 5.43 ft — August 10, 2005
- 5.29 ft — June 18, 2008
- 5.2 ft — June 6, 2011
- 5.09 ft — August 12, 2024
Recent crests: 2.75 ft (May 15, 2026) · 4.39 ft (June 3, 2025) · 5.09 ft (August 12, 2024) · 4.24 ft (June 7, 2023) · 3.69 ft (May 16, 2022)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (UCRC2); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.