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Rio Grande at Espanola

Highest listed crest 10.40 ftFlood stage 9.5 ft17 crests since 1916

The Rio Grande at Espanola crested above flood stage 2 times among the 17 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1916 to 1992. The highest, 10.40 ft on May 15, 1941, was minor flooding, 0.90 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Rio Grande crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.40 ft
May 15, 1941
Flood stage
9.5 ft
Major flooding from 13.0 ft
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
April 24, 1942
9.60 ft, minor flooding
Location
Rio Arriba County
Near Española (1.1 mi)
Identifiers
NWS ESPN5
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Rio Grande at Espanola
Action stage8.08May 14, 1985The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.52Apr 24, 1942Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage11.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage13.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

17 crests from 1916 to 1992. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rio Grande at Espanola, 1916 to 1992 68101214ft Flood stage 9.5 ftMajor 13.0 ft May 10, 1916: 7.70 ft, below flood stageMay 15, 1924: 6.90 ft, below flood stageMay 20, 1932: 7.80 ft, below flood stageMay 13, 1937: 8.30 ft, action stageMay 15, 1941: 10.40 ft, minor floodingApr 24, 1942: 9.60 ft, minor floodingMay 17, 1944: 8.90 ft, action stageMay 13, 1945: 8.10 ft, action stageJun 8, 1948: 8.80 ft, action stageJun 20, 1949: 7.90 ft, below flood stageMay 9, 1952: 8.70 ft, action stageMay 30, 1958: 8.61 ft, action stageMay 22, 1973: 7.78 ft, below flood stageJun 9, 1979: 8.73 ft, action stageMay 14, 1985: 8.67 ft, action stageMay 1, 1987: 7.49 ft, below flood stageMay 25, 1992: 6.41 ft, below flood stage Highest, 10.40 ft, May 15, 1941 19201930194019501960197019801990

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rio Grande at Espanola 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 0 1940s: 2 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s
  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.
  3. 2 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 9.40 ft on May 26, 1905; 9.00 ft on May 23, 1920.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Rio Grande at Espanola
1May 15, 194110.40+0.90Minor—
2Apr 24, 19429.60+0.10Minor—
3May 17, 19448.90−0.60Action—
4Jun 8, 19488.80−0.70Action—
5Jun 9, 19798.73−0.77Action—
6May 9, 19528.70−0.80Action—
7May 14, 19858.67−0.83Action—
8May 30, 19588.61−0.89Action—
9May 13, 19378.30−1.20Action—
10May 13, 19458.10−1.40Action—
11Jun 20, 19497.90−1.60Below flood stage—
12May 20, 19327.80−1.70Below flood stage—
13May 22, 19737.78−1.72Below flood stage—
14May 10, 19167.70−1.80Below flood stage—
15May 1, 19877.49−2.01Below flood stage—
16May 15, 19246.90−2.60Below flood stage—
17May 25, 19926.41−3.09Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Rio Grande

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

May 15, 1941: 10.40 ft here, minor flooding

  • EmbudoNM · May 16, 1941 · 13.95 ft · Moderate
  • OtowiNM · May 16, 1941 · 13.54 ft · Moderate
  • San Felipe PuebloNM · May 14, 1941 · 10.53 ft · Moderate · its highest

April 24, 1942: 9.60 ft here, minor flooding

  • AlbuquerqueNM · Apr 24, 1942 · 12.30 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • OtowiNM · Apr 23, 1942 · 10.22 ft · Minor
  • San Felipe PuebloNM · Apr 24, 1942 · 8.59 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Rio Grande

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Rio Grande
San Felipe PuebloNM8.510.53 ft, May 14, 19410
AlamosaCO9.010.62 ft, Jun 20, 19490
AlbuquerqueNM8.012.30 ft, Apr 24, 19420
EmbudoNM10.015.90 ft, Jun 19, 19031
Espanola this gaugeNM9.510.40 ft, May 15, 19410
OtowiNM9.014.50 ft, Sep 29, 19040
Wagon Wheel GapCO6.06.10 ft, Jun 9, 19850
Cochiti DamNM6.67.05 ft, May 31, 19840
Del NorteCO5.56.80 ft, Oct 5, 19110
LobatosCO9.010.00 ft, Jun 18, 19030

Other gauges in Rio Arriba County

Flood gauges in Rio Arriba County
Abiquiu5.45.52 ft, May 14, 19850
El Vado Dam6.87.08 ft, May 7, 19850
Chamita6.011.68 ft, Aug 14, 19941
Embudo10.015.90 ft, Jun 19, 19031
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 ESPN5, 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.