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Pecos River above Pecos

Highest listed crest 6.20 ftFlood stage 5.0 ft16 crests since 1926

The Pecos River above Pecos crested above flood stage 2 times among the 16 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1926 to 2009. The highest, 6.20 ft on September 21, 1929, was moderate flooding, 1.20 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
6.20 ft
September 21, 1929; 4,500 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.0 ft
Major flooding from 7.5 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 21, 1991
5.12 ft, minor flooding
Location
San Miguel 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, Pecos River above Pecos
Action stage4.56Jun 7, 1997The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.01May 21, 1991Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage6.01Sep 21, 1929Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage7.50—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

16 crests from 1926 to 2009. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pecos River above Pecos, 1926 to 2009 345678ft Flood stage 5.0 ftMajor 7.5 ft Jun 1, 1926: 3.99 ft, below flood stage; 1,570 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1929: 6.20 ft, moderate flooding; 4,500 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1931: 3.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1941: 4.57 ft, action stage; 1,960 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1942: 4.28 ft, below flood stage; 1,440 cubic feet per secondAug 6, 1957: 4.21 ft, below flood stage; 1,420 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1958: 4.52 ft, action stage; 1,370 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1973: 4.62 ft, action stage; 1,560 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1979: 4.73 ft, action stage; 2,200 cubic feet per secondMay 21, 1991: 5.12 ft, minor flooding; 2,980 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1995: 4.71 ft, action stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondJun 7, 1997: 4.79 ft, action stage; 2,060 cubic feet per secondJul 14, 1998: 3.77 ft, below flood stage; 985 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1999: 3.75 ft, below flood stage; 969 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2005: 4.19 ft, below flood stage; 1,430 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2009: 4.09 ft, below flood stage; 824 cubic feet per second Highest, 6.20 ft, Sep 21, 1929 1940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pecos River above Pecos 1920s: 1 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s
  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 above Pecos
1Sep 21, 19296.20+1.20Moderate4,500
2May 21, 19915.12+0.12Minor2,980
3Jun 7, 19974.79−0.21Action2,060
4Jun 8, 19794.73−0.27Action2,200
5Jun 18, 19954.71−0.29Action1,950
6May 21, 19734.62−0.38Action1,560
7May 14, 19414.57−0.43Action1,960
8May 27, 19584.52−0.48Action1,370
9Apr 23, 19424.28−0.72Below flood stage1,440
10Aug 6, 19574.21−0.79Below flood stage1,420
11May 22, 20054.19−0.81Below flood stage1,430
12May 9, 20094.09−0.91Below flood stage824
13Jun 1, 19263.99−1.01Below flood stage1,570
14Jul 14, 19983.77−1.23Below flood stage985
15May 24, 19993.75−1.25Below flood stage969
16Sep 24, 19313.70−1.30Below flood stage1,390

Gauges on the Pecos River

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

Flood gauges on the Pecos River
Pecos this gaugeNM5.06.20 ft, Sep 21, 19290
Anton ChicoNM15.024.00 ft, Sep 29, 19041
Puerto De LunaNM11.017.00 ft, Sep 1, 19420

Other gauges in San Miguel County

Flood gauges in San Miguel County
Sanchez22.036.60 ft, Jun 18, 19652
Montezuma7.09.70 ft, Aug 2, 19660

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PCON5, 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.