Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Dark Canyon at Carlsbad

Highest listed crest 22.00 ftFlood stage 15.0 ft11 crests since 1966

The Dark Canyon at Carlsbad crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 11 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1966 to 2021. The highest, 22.00 ft on August 23, 1966, was major flooding, 7.00 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.00 ft
August 23, 1966; 66,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
15.0 ft
Major flooding from 22.0 ft
Crests at major
1
6th of 46 gauges in New Mexico
Most recent flood crest
June 29, 2021
19.26 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Eddy County
Near Carlsbad (0.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Dark Canyon at Carlsbad
Action stage9.05Jun 24, 1986The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)15.01Sep 12, 2013Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage18.03Jun 29, 2021Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage22.01Aug 23, 1966Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

11 crests from 1966 to 2021. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Dark Canyon at Carlsbad, 1966 to 2021 510152025ft Flood stage 15.0 ftMajor 22.0 ft Aug 23, 1966: 22.00 ft, major flooding; 66,000 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1974: 6.18 ft, below flood stage; 3,190 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1974: 10.80 ft, action stage; 14,200 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1978: 9.82 ft, action stage; 9,900 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1980: 12.10 ft, action stage; 27,000 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1984: 10.56 ft, action stage; 13,600 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1986: 12.53 ft, action stage; 26,900 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2004: 20.45 ft, moderate floodingSep 12, 2013: 17.85 ft, minor flooding; 50,422 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2014: 21.62 ft, moderate flooding; 92,712 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2021: 19.26 ft, moderate flooding; 20,690 cubic feet per second Highest, 22.00 ft, Aug 23, 1966 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Dark Canyon at Carlsbad 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 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, Dark Canyon at Carlsbad
1Aug 23, 196622.00+7.00Major66,000
2Sep 22, 201421.62+6.62Moderate92,712
3Apr 4, 200420.45+5.45Moderate—
4Jun 29, 202119.26+4.26Moderate20,690
5Sep 12, 201317.85+2.85Minor50,422
6Jun 24, 198612.53−2.47Action26,900
7Sep 26, 198012.10−2.90Action27,000
8Oct 23, 197410.80−4.20Action14,200
9Aug 10, 198410.56−4.44Action13,600
10Sep 25, 19789.82−5.18Action9,900
11Sep 24, 19746.18−8.82Below flood stage3,190

Other gauges in Eddy County

Flood gauges in Eddy County
Black River 5 miles W of Malaga18.021.70 ft, Aug 23, 19660
Delaware River (NM) 11 miles NW of Red Bluff26.027.00 ft, Oct 2, 19550
Fourmile Draw 4 miles NNW of Lakewood12.017.18 ft, Jun 25, 19860
Pecos River 10 miles S of Malaga20.033.32 ft, Aug 23, 19661
Dark Canyon14.022.00 ft, Aug 23, 19662
Pecos River 3 miles ESE of Malaga30.042.10 ft, Aug 23, 19661
Pecos River 6 miles E of Artesia12.513.76 ft, Oct 8, 19540
Pecos River 6 miles NE of Lakewood20.022.35 ft, Sep 19, 20130

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DACN5, 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.