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Rio Chama below Abiquiu

Highest listed crest 5.52 ftFlood stage 5.4 ft12 crests since 1970

The Rio Chama below Abiquiu crested above flood stage 2 times among the 12 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1970 to 2011. The highest, 5.52 ft on May 14, 1985, was minor flooding, 0.12 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Rio Chama crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
5.52 ft
May 14, 1985; 2,680 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.4 ft
Major flooding from 6.3 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 14, 1985
5.52 ft, minor flooding
Location
Rio Arriba 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, Rio Chama below Abiquiu
Action stage4.86Apr 27, 2010The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.42May 14, 1985Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage5.80—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage6.30—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

12 crests from 1970 to 2011. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rio Chama below Abiquiu, 1970 to 2011 4.555.566.5ft Flood stage 5.4 ftMajor 6.3 ft Jun 12, 1970: 5.45 ft, minor flooding; 2,620 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1985: 5.52 ft, minor flooding; 2,680 cubic feet per secondApr 25, 1989: 5.16 ft, action stage; 2,220 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1995: 5.01 ft, action stage; 2,070 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1998: 4.80 ft, action stage; 1,820 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2004: 4.83 ft, action stage; 1,860 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 2005: 4.80 ft, action stage; 1,950 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 2007: 4.70 ft, below flood stage; 1,920 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2008: 4.76 ft, below flood stage; 1,840 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 2009: 4.73 ft, below flood stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2010: 4.82 ft, action stage; 1,890 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 2011: 4.51 ft, below flood stage; 1,560 cubic feet per second Highest, 5.52 ft, May 14, 1985 19701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rio Chama below Abiquiu 1970s: 1 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Rio Chama below Abiquiu
1May 14, 19855.52+0.12Minor2,680
2Jun 12, 19705.45+0.05Minor2,620
3Apr 25, 19895.16−0.24Action2,220
4Jun 28, 19955.01−0.39Action2,070
5May 15, 20044.83−0.57Action1,860
6Apr 27, 20104.82−0.58Action1,890
7May 29, 19984.80−0.60Action1,820
8Apr 19, 20054.80−0.60Action1,950
9Apr 16, 20084.76−0.64Below flood stage1,840
10May 29, 20094.73−0.67Below flood stage1,890
11May 17, 20074.70−0.70Below flood stage1,920
12Jun 6, 20114.51−0.89Below flood stage1,560

The worst floods along the Rio Chama

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Rio Chama that crested above flood stage within a week.

May 14, 1985: 5.52 ft here, minor flooding

  • El Vado DamNM · May 7, 1985 · 7.08 ft · Minor · its highest

Gauges on the Rio Chama

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

Flood gauges on the Rio Chama
El Vado DamNM6.87.08 ft, May 7, 19850
Abiquiu this gaugeNM5.45.52 ft, May 14, 19850
ChamitaNM6.011.68 ft, Aug 14, 19941

Other gauges in Rio Arriba County

Flood gauges in Rio Arriba County
El Vado Dam6.87.08 ft, May 7, 19850
Chamita6.011.68 ft, Aug 14, 19941
Embudo10.015.90 ft, Jun 19, 19031
Espanola9.510.40 ft, May 15, 19410
La Madera7.010.32 ft, Aug 25, 20251

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge AICN5, 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.