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Animas River at Farmington

Highest listed crest 16.50 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft18 crests since 1911

The Animas River at Farmington crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 18 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1911 to 2008. The highest, 16.50 ft on October 6, 1911, was major flooding, 6.50 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
16.50 ft
October 6, 1911; 30,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 14.0 ft
Crests at major
2
1st of 46 gauges in New Mexico
Most recent flood crest
October 20, 1972
10.15 ft, minor flooding
Location
San Juan County
Near Farmington (2.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Animas River at Farmington
Action stage9.09May 21, 2008The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.05Oct 20, 1972Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage12.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage14.02Jun 29, 1927Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

18 crests from 1911 to 2008. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Animas River at Farmington, 1911 to 2008 681012141618ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 14.0 ft Oct 6, 1911: 16.50 ft, major flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 1927: 14.30 ft, major flooding; 25,000 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1941: 11.00 ft, minor flooding; 12,800 cubic feet per secondAug 22, 1947: 10.70 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1949: 10.70 ft, minor flooding; 11,200 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 1970: 10.30 ft, minor flooding; 10,940 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1972: 10.15 ft, minor flooding; 10,500 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1980: 9.61 ft, action stage; 8,460 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1985: 9.68 ft, action stage; 9,120 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1993: 9.16 ft, action stage; 7,790 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1995: 9.32 ft, action stage; 8,270 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1997: 9.15 ft, action stage; 8,420 cubic feet per secondJul 9, 1999: 9.19 ft, action stage; 7,730 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2001: 8.06 ft, below flood stage; 5,050 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2003: 7.84 ft, below flood stage; 4,690 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 2005: 9.98 ft, action stage; 8,940 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 2006: 9.76 ft, action stage; 8,890 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 2008: 9.15 ft, action stage; 6,890 cubic feet per second Highest, 16.50 ft, Oct 6, 1911 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Animas River at Farmington 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 3 3 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s
  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, Animas River at Farmington
1Oct 6, 191116.50+6.50Major30,000
2Jun 29, 192714.30+4.30Major25,000
3May 14, 194111.00+1.00Minor12,800
4Aug 22, 194710.70+0.70Minor11,200
5Jun 19, 194910.70+0.70Minor11,200
6Sep 7, 197010.30+0.30Minor10,940
7Oct 20, 197210.15+0.15Minor10,500
8May 25, 20059.98−0.02Action8,940
9Oct 4, 20069.76−0.24Action8,890
10Jun 10, 19859.68−0.32Action9,120
11Jun 12, 19809.61−0.39Action8,460
12Jun 18, 19959.32−0.68Action8,270
13Jul 9, 19999.19−0.81Action7,730
14May 28, 19939.16−0.84Action7,790
15Jun 2, 19979.15−0.85Action8,420
16May 21, 20089.15−0.85Action6,890
17May 17, 20018.06−1.94Below flood stage5,050
18Sep 9, 20037.84−2.16Below flood stage4,690

Gauges on the Animas River

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

Flood gauges on the Animas River
DurangoCO8.08.39 ft, Oct 23, 20260
Cedar HillCO10.511.91 ft, Oct 24, 20260
Farmington this gaugeNM10.016.50 ft, Oct 6, 19112

Other gauges in San Juan County

Flood gauges in San Juan County
Farmington8.511.80 ft, Sep 28, 19350
Archuleta7.07.00 ft, Jun 16, 20170

San Juan County: every hazard · River floods across the country · New Mexico

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ARFN5, 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.