Rio Grande at Albuquerque, NM

The last 7 days and the forecast

NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 7:12 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.

Flood stages

What floods at each level

From the National Weather Service, highest first.

• 12.5 ftRiver levels have risen to the top of most levees and dikes and has overtopped them in several areas of the city. The flow now exceeds that observed during the big flood of 1942.
• 10 ftSignificant lowland flooding is occurring mainly outside of levee protected areas. Even those areas protected by levees and dikes should be closely monitored as the river flow now exceeds any experienced since the mid 1940s.
• 8 ftDikes and levees constructed after the floods of 1942 protect developed and personal property near the river in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Levee heights range from 8 to 12 feet. Further upriver and downriver from the dikes and levees, water is flowing over natural banks flooding agricultural and grazing lowlands. Sustained flows of 8000 to 10,000 cubic feet per second over a period of 5 to 10 days would likely result in significant bank erosion outside of levee protected areas.

Highest crests on record

1. 12.3 ft — April 24, 1942
2. 7.82 ft — August 10, 1967
3. 7.21 ft — April 24, 1985
4. 7.17 ft — May 28, 1984
5. 6.97 ft — June 1, 1979

Recent crests: 6.59 ft (May 10, 2017) · 5.74 ft (September 13, 2013) · 6.17 ft (May 22, 2010) · 6.31 ft (May 25, 2008) · 6.51 ft (June 3, 2005)

Up and down the river, and nearby

• DownstreamRio Grande near San Acacia, NM
• AMAFCA at South Diversion Channel above Tijeras Arroyo, NM
• AMAFCA at North Floodway Channel near Alameda, NM
• Jemez River at Jemez Canyon Reservoir, NM
• Jemez River below Jemez Dam, NM
• Galisteo Creek below Galisteo Dam, NM
• Galisteo Creek at Galisteo Dam, NM
• Jemez River above Jemez Pueblo, NM
• Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam, NM