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Cimarron River (NM) above Cimarron

Highest listed crest 12.42 ftFlood stage 5.0 ft18 crests since 1965

The Cimarron River (NM) above Cimarron crested above flood stage 11 times among the 18 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1965 to 2019. The highest, 12.42 ft on June 17, 1965, was moderate flooding, 7.42 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Cimarron River (NM) crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.42 ft
June 17, 1965; 15,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.0 ft
Major flooding from 12.5 ft
Crests at major
0
11 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 7, 2019
9.52 ft, minor flooding
Location
Colfax County
New Mexico

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Cimarron River (NM) above Cimarron
Action stage5.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.010Sep 7, 2019Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.01Jun 17, 1965Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage12.50—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

18 crests from 1965 to 2019. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Cimarron River (NM) above Cimarron, 1965 to 2019 2468101214ft Flood stage 5.0 ftMajor 12.5 ft Jun 17, 1965: 12.42 ft, moderate flooding; 15,500 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 1967: 3.70 ft, below flood stage; 589 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 1973: 3.63 ft, below flood stage; 563 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1976: 3.81 ft, below flood stage; 612 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1979: 3.69 ft, below flood stage; 584 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1988: 4.30 ft, below flood stage; 870 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1999: 4.63 ft, below flood stage; 922 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2008: 3.29 ft, below flood stage; 393 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2018: 5.16 ft, minor flooding; 1,090 cubic feet per secondJul 24, 2018: 5.67 ft, minor flooding; 1,422 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 2018: 8.15 ft, minor flooding; 3,848 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 2018: 5.19 ft, minor flooding; 1,109 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 2019: 5.08 ft, minor flooding; 1,243 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2019: 6.62 ft, minor flooding; 2,494 cubic feet per secondJul 23, 2019: 6.44 ft, minor flooding; 2,323 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 2019: 6.38 ft, minor flooding; 2,266 cubic feet per secondAug 7, 2019: 6.28 ft, minor flooding; 2,173 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 2019: 9.52 ft, minor flooding; 7,699 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.42 ft, Jun 17, 1965 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Cimarron River (NM) above Cimarron 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 10 10 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Cimarron River (NM) above Cimarron
1Jun 17, 196512.42+7.42Moderate15,500
2Sep 7, 20199.52+4.52Minor7,699
3Aug 16, 20188.15+3.15Minor3,848
4Jun 17, 20196.62+1.62Minor2,494
5Jul 23, 20196.44+1.44Minor2,323
6Jul 28, 20196.38+1.38Minor2,266
7Aug 7, 20196.28+1.28Minor2,173
8Jul 24, 20185.67+0.67Minor1,422
9Aug 20, 20185.19+0.19Minor1,109
10Jul 11, 20185.16+0.16Minor1,090
11Jun 7, 20195.08+0.08Minor1,243
12Apr 30, 19994.63−0.37Below flood stage922
13Jun 9, 19884.30−0.70Below flood stage870
14Aug 1, 19763.81−1.19Below flood stage612
15Jul 26, 19673.70−1.30Below flood stage589
16Jun 1, 19793.69−1.31Below flood stage584
17Sep 9, 19733.63−1.37Below flood stage563
18Jul 24, 20083.29−1.71Below flood stage393

The worst floods along the Cimarron River (NM)

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

June 17, 1965: 12.42 ft here, moderate flooding

  • SpringerNM · Jun 18, 1965 · 19.96 ft · Moderate · its highest

Gauges on the Cimarron River (NM)

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

Flood gauges on the Cimarron River (NM)
Cimarron this gaugeNM5.012.42 ft, Jun 17, 19650
SpringerNM14.019.96 ft, Jun 18, 19650

Other gauges in Colfax County

Flood gauges in Colfax County
Taylor Springs38.047.40 ft, Jun 18, 19650
Springer14.019.96 ft, Jun 18, 19650
Dawson9.015.25 ft, Jun 17, 19650

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CMMN5, 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.