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Arkansas River at Cañon City

Highest listed crest 10.90 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft20 crests since 1965

The Arkansas River at Cañon City crested above flood stage 6 times among the 20 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1965 to 2024. The highest, 10.90 ft on June 18, 1995, was minor flooding, 0.90 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.90 ft
June 18, 1995; 6,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
0
6 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 10, 2024
10.02 ft, minor flooding
Location
Fremont County
Near Cañon City (2.0 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Arkansas River at Cañon City
Action stage9.010Jun 20, 2017The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.06Jun 10, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

20 crests from 1965 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Arkansas River at Cañon City, 1965 to 2024 8101214ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Jul 24, 1965: 8.28 ft, below flood stage; 7,950 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1980: 10.05 ft, minor flooding; 7,290 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 1983: 10.08 ft, minor flooding; 6,690 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1984: 9.48 ft, action stage; 6,120 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1987: 9.40 ft, action stage; 5,680 cubic feet per secondJun 11, 1990: 8.47 ft, below flood stage; 3,810 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1994: 9.20 ft, action stage; 3,820 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1995: 10.90 ft, minor flooding; 6,900 cubic feet per secondJun 14, 1996: 9.52 ft, action stage; 4,340 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1997: 9.78 ft, action stage; 4,780 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1998: 8.95 ft, below flood stage; 3,630 cubic feet per secondJun 25, 1999: 9.07 ft, action stage; 3,640 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 2003: 8.99 ft, below flood stage; 3,680 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2008: 9.39 ft, action stage; 4,530 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2010: 9.80 ft, action stage; 5,210 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 2011: 9.00 ft, action stage; 4,110 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 2015: 10.42 ft, minor flooding; 6,340 cubic feet per secondJun 20, 2017: 9.27 ft, action stage; 4,120 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2019: 10.56 ft, minor flooding; 6,590 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2024: 10.02 ft, minor flooding; 5,180 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.90 ft, Jun 18, 1995 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Arkansas River at Cañon City 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 2 2 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 2 2020s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Arkansas River at Cañon City
1Jun 18, 199510.90+0.90Minor6,900
2Jun 18, 201910.56+0.56Minor6,590
3Jun 21, 201510.42+0.42Minor6,340
4Jun 27, 198310.08+0.08Minor6,690
5Jun 12, 198010.05+0.05Minor7,290
6Jun 10, 202410.02+0.02Minor5,180
7Jun 7, 20109.80−0.20Action5,210
8Jun 21, 19979.78−0.22Action4,780
9Jun 14, 19969.52−0.48Action4,340
10May 26, 19849.48−0.52Action6,120
11Jun 10, 19879.40−0.60Action5,680
12Jun 20, 20089.39−0.61Action4,530
13Jun 20, 20179.27−0.73Action4,120
14Jun 2, 19949.20−0.80Action3,820
15Jun 25, 19999.07−0.93Action3,640
16Jul 2, 20119.00−1.00Action4,110
17May 31, 20038.99−1.01Below flood stage3,680
18Jul 8, 19988.95−1.05Below flood stage3,630
19Jun 11, 19908.47−1.53Below flood stage3,810
20Jul 24, 19658.28−1.72Below flood stage7,950

The worst floods along the Arkansas River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Arkansas River that crested above flood stage within a week.

June 21, 2015: 10.42 ft here, minor flooding

  • PuebloCO · Jun 21, 2015 · 8.21 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Arkansas River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Arkansas River
PuebloCO8.08.29 ft, Jun 10, 20240
Cañon City this gaugeCO10.010.90 ft, Jun 18, 19950
Catlin DamCO8.011.30 ft, May 1, 19992
CoolidgeKS8.08.85 ft, Aug 17, 20150
Garden CityKS10.022.30 ft, Jun 19, 19654
La JuntaCO11.015.55 ft, May 2, 19991
LamarCO11.013.06 ft, May 27, 19960
ParkdaleCO9.09.13 ft, Jun 9, 19850
PortlandCO9.012.94 ft, Jul 6, 20062
SyracuseKS10.021.80 ft, Jun 17, 19653
AvondaleCO7.010.60 ft, Apr 30, 19990
FowlerCO13.513.65 ft, Jun 24, 20230
NepestaCO16.516.66 ft, Jun 23, 20230

Other gauges in Fremont County

Flood gauges in Fremont County
Parkdale9.09.13 ft, Jun 9, 19850
Portland9.012.94 ft, Jul 6, 20062

Fremont County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Colorado

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CNCC2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.