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Arkansas River near Nepesta

Highest listed crest 16.66 ftFlood stage 16.5 ft11 crests since 1923

The Arkansas River near Nepesta crested above flood stage 2 times among the 11 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1923 to 2024. The highest, 16.66 ft on June 23, 2023, was minor flooding, 0.16 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Arkansas River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.66 ft
June 23, 2023; 6,490 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.5 ft
Major flooding from 18.5 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
June 23, 2023
16.66 ft, minor flooding
Location
Pueblo County
Colorado

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Arkansas River near Nepesta
Action stage15.54Jun 12, 2024The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.52Jun 23, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.50—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

11 crests from 1923 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Arkansas River near Nepesta, 1923 to 2024 5101520ft Flood stage 16.5 ftMajor 18.5 ft Aug 22, 1923: 6.87 ft, below flood stage; 23,000 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1955: 8.05 ft, below flood stage; 40,200 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1957: 8.00 ft, below flood stage; 38,200 cubic feet per secondAug 26, 2006: 15.52 ft, action stage; 5,530 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 2010: 15.29 ft, below flood stage; 4,150 cubic feet per secondSep 16, 2011: 15.04 ft, below flood stage; 3,920 cubic feet per secondSep 14, 2013: 15.62 ft, action stage; 4,950 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2015: 16.56 ft, minor flooding; 7,320 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 2019: 15.62 ft, action stage; 4,500 cubic feet per secondJun 23, 2023: 16.66 ft, minor flooding; 6,490 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 2024: 15.92 ft, action stage; 3,900 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.66 ft, Jun 23, 2023 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Arkansas River near Nepesta 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 1 2020s: 1 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 near Nepesta
1Jun 23, 202316.66+0.16Minor6,490
2May 21, 201516.56+0.06Minor7,320
3Jun 12, 202415.92−0.58Action3,900
4Sep 14, 201315.62−0.88Action4,950
5Jun 18, 201915.62−0.88Action4,500
6Aug 26, 200615.52−0.98Action5,530
7Jun 9, 201015.29−1.21Below flood stage4,150
8Sep 16, 201115.04−1.46Below flood stage3,920
9May 19, 19558.05−8.45Below flood stage40,200
10May 16, 19578.00−8.50Below flood stage38,200
11Aug 22, 19236.87−9.63Below flood stage23,000

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 23, 2023: 16.66 ft here, minor flooding

  • AvondaleCO · Jun 22, 2023 · 10.53 ft · Moderate
  • FowlerCO · Jun 24, 2023 · 13.65 ft · Minor · its highest
  • La JuntaCO · Jun 24, 2023 · 12.73 ft · Minor

May 21, 2015: 16.56 ft here, minor flooding

  • AvondaleCO · May 20, 2015 · 9.49 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 CityCO10.010.90 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
Nepesta this gaugeCO16.516.66 ft, Jun 23, 20230

Other gauges in Pueblo County

Flood gauges in Pueblo County
Pueblo8.08.29 ft, Jun 10, 20240
Avondale7.010.60 ft, Apr 30, 19990
Pueblo10.010.82 ft, Jul 9, 19960
Vineland12.013.93 ft, May 11, 20170

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge NPTC2, 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.