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La Plata River at Hesperus

Highest listed crest 5.84 ftFlood stage 5.5 ft24 crests since 1998

The La Plata River at Hesperus crested above flood stage 2 times among the 24 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1998 to 2026. The highest, 5.84 ft on May 21, 2005, was minor flooding, 0.34 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
5.84 ft
May 21, 2005; 600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.5 ft
Major flooding from 7.0 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
October 23, 2026
5.64 ft, minor flooding
Location
La Plata County
Near Durango (9.3 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, La Plata River at Hesperus
Action stage5.02Oct 14, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.52Oct 23, 2026Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage6.20—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage7.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

24 crests from 1998 to 2026. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the La Plata River at Hesperus, 1998 to 2026 34567ft Flood stage 5.5 ftMajor 7.0 ft May 28, 1998: 3.31 ft, below flood stage; 233 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1999: 3.36 ft, below flood stage; 256 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 2000: 3.37 ft, below flood stage; 224 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2001: 3.49 ft, below flood stage; 390 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2002: 4.14 ft, below flood stage; 98 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 2003: 4.81 ft, below flood stage; 232 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2004: 4.79 ft, below flood stage; 307 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2005: 5.84 ft, minor flooding; 600 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 2006: 4.30 ft, below flood stage; 137 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 2006: 5.42 ft, action stage; 704 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2008: 4.83 ft, below flood stage; 389 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2009: 4.79 ft, below flood stage; 382 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2010: 4.64 ft, below flood stage; 295 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2012: 4.36 ft, below flood stage; 168 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 2013: 4.38 ft, below flood stage; 174 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2014: 4.31 ft, below flood stage; 152 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 2015: 4.65 ft, below flood stage; 275 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2016: 4.67 ft, below flood stage; 283 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2017: 4.66 ft, below flood stage; 279 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 2018: 3.92 ft, below flood stage; 65 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 2025: 4.09 ft, below flood stage; 101 cubic feet per secondOct 14, 2025: 5.13 ft, action stage; 504 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2026: 4.00 ft, below flood stage; 82 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 2026: 5.64 ft, minor flooding; 746 cubic feet per second Highest, 5.84 ft, May 21, 2005 200020052010201520202025

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, La Plata River at Hesperus 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 15 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 3.83 ft on Sep 19, 1925; 4.50 ft on Jun 28, 1927; 4.10 ft on Jun 3, 1952; 3.90 ft on Jun 26, 1957; 3.80 ft on May 22, 1965; 4.08 ft on May 5, 1966; and more.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, La Plata River at Hesperus
1May 21, 20055.84+0.34Minor600
2Oct 23, 20265.64+0.14Minor746
3Oct 6, 20065.42−0.08Action704
4Oct 14, 20255.13−0.37Action504
5May 21, 20084.83−0.67Below flood stage389
6May 23, 20034.81−0.69Below flood stage232
7May 10, 20044.79−0.71Below flood stage307
8May 12, 20094.79−0.71Below flood stage382
9Jun 6, 20164.67−0.83Below flood stage283
10Jun 6, 20174.66−0.84Below flood stage279
11Jun 10, 20154.65−0.85Below flood stage275
12May 22, 20104.64−0.86Below flood stage295
13Sep 11, 20134.38−1.12Below flood stage174
14Mar 31, 20124.36−1.14Below flood stage168
15Apr 22, 20144.31−1.19Below flood stage152
16May 20, 20064.30−1.20Below flood stage137
17Sep 11, 20024.14−1.36Below flood stage98
18Jun 3, 20254.09−1.41Below flood stage101
19May 15, 20264.00−1.50Below flood stage82
20May 10, 20183.92−1.58Below flood stage65
21May 15, 20013.49−2.01Below flood stage390
22Apr 28, 20003.37−2.13Below flood stage224
23May 23, 19993.36−2.14Below flood stage256
24May 28, 19983.31−2.19Below flood stage233

Gauges on the La Plata River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the La Plata River
Hesperus this gaugeCO5.55.84 ft, May 21, 20050
State LineCO9.011.36 ft, Aug 24, 19270

Other gauges in La Plata County

Flood gauges in La Plata County
Cedar Hill10.511.91 ft, Oct 24, 20260
Durango8.08.39 ft, Oct 23, 20260
State Line9.011.36 ft, Aug 24, 19270
Bayfield5.65.67 ft, Jun 12, 20150

La Plata County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Colorado

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge LPHC2, 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.