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Pecos River 2 miles E of Carlsbad below Dark Canyon

Highest listed crest 22.00 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft11 crests since 1966

The Pecos River 2 miles E of Carlsbad below Dark Canyon crested at major flood stage 2 times 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, 8.00 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
22.00 ft
August 23, 1966
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
2
1st of 46 gauges in New Mexico
Most recent flood crest
June 29, 2021
15.24 ft, minor flooding
Location
Eddy County
Near Carlsbad (1.6 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Pecos River 2 miles E of Carlsbad below Dark Canyon
Action stage12.02Sep 26, 1978The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.04Jun 29, 2021Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage17.02Sep 22, 2014Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage20.02Apr 4, 2004Extensive 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 Pecos River 2 miles E of Carlsbad below Dark Canyon, 1966 to 2021 10121416182022ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Aug 23, 1966: 22.00 ft, major floodingSep 23, 1974: 11.19 ft, below flood stage; 17,600 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1974: 13.10 ft, action stage; 23,700 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1978: 12.28 ft, action stage; 21,000 cubic feet per secondSep 26, 1980: 14.60 ft, minor flooding; 23,700 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1984: 15.22 ft, minor flooding; 26,300 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1986: 17.35 ft, moderate flooding; 35,400 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2004: 20.66 ft, major floodingSep 13, 2013: 15.42 ft, minor flooding; 30,665 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2014: 18.53 ft, moderate flooding; 44,925 cubic feet per secondJun 29, 2021: 15.24 ft, minor flooding; 24,345 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, Pecos River 2 miles E of Carlsbad below Dark Canyon 1960s: 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 3 3 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 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, Pecos River 2 miles E of Carlsbad below Dark Canyon
1Aug 23, 196622.00+8.00Major—
2Apr 4, 200420.66+6.66Major—
3Sep 22, 201418.53+4.53Moderate44,925
4Jun 24, 198617.35+3.35Moderate35,400
5Sep 13, 201315.42+1.42Minor30,665
6Jun 29, 202115.24+1.24Minor24,345
7Aug 10, 198415.22+1.22Minor26,300
8Sep 26, 198014.60+0.60Minor23,700
9Oct 23, 197413.10−0.90Action23,700
10Sep 26, 197812.28−1.72Action21,000
11Sep 23, 197411.19−2.81Below flood stage17,600

Other gauges in Eddy County

Flood gauges in Eddy County
Black River 5 miles W of Malaga18.021.70 ft, Aug 23, 19660
Carlsbad15.022.00 ft, Aug 23, 19661
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
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 CPDN5, 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.