Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Rio Grande at Otowi

Highest listed crest 14.50 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft18 crests since 1904

The Rio Grande at Otowi crested above flood stage 13 times among the 18 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1904 to 2009. The highest, 14.50 ft on September 29, 1904, was moderate flooding, 5.50 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
14.50 ft
September 29, 1904; 22,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
0
13 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 19, 1994
9.03 ft, minor flooding
Location
Santa Fe County
Near Española (9.8 mi)

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 Otowi
Action stage8.02May 27, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.09May 19, 1994Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.04May 16, 1941Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

18 crests from 1904 to 2009. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rio Grande at Otowi, 1904 to 2009 681012141618ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Sep 29, 1904: 14.50 ft, moderate flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1905: 12.05 ft, minor flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per secondOct 7, 1911: 13.10 ft, moderate flooding; 21,700 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1916: 10.93 ft, minor flooding; 14,100 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 1919: 10.10 ft, minor flooding; 13,300 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1920: 14.10 ft, moderate flooding; 24,400 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 1924: 10.06 ft, minor flooding; 14,200 cubic feet per secondMay 20, 1932: 9.84 ft, minor flooding; 14,500 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1941: 13.54 ft, moderate flooding; 22,500 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1942: 10.22 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1979: 9.93 ft, minor flooding; 12,300 cubic feet per secondMay 10, 1985: 9.96 ft, minor flooding; 12,400 cubic feet per secondMay 19, 1994: 9.03 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondJul 6, 1995: 8.44 ft, action stage; 8,800 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1997: 7.76 ft, below flood stage; 7,220 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 2005: 8.61 ft, action stage; 9,190 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2008: 7.21 ft, below flood stage; 6,130 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 2009: 7.22 ft, below flood stage; 6,150 cubic feet per second Highest, 14.50 ft, Sep 29, 1904 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rio Grande at Otowi 1900s: 2 1910s: 3 3 1920s: 2 1930s: 1 1940s: 2 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s
  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 Grande at Otowi
1Sep 29, 190414.50+5.50Moderate22,000
2May 23, 192014.10+5.10Moderate24,400
3May 16, 194113.54+4.54Moderate22,500
4Oct 7, 191113.10+4.10Moderate21,700
5May 25, 190512.05+3.05Minor20,200
6May 11, 191610.93+1.93Minor14,100
7Apr 23, 194210.22+1.22Minor16,400
8May 24, 191910.10+1.10Minor13,300
9May 14, 192410.06+1.06Minor14,200
10May 10, 19859.96+0.96Minor12,400
11Jun 9, 19799.93+0.93Minor12,300
12May 20, 19329.84+0.84Minor14,500
13May 19, 19949.03+0.03Minor10,200
14May 27, 20058.61−0.39Action9,190
15Jul 6, 19958.44−0.56Action8,800
16Jun 8, 19977.76−1.24Below flood stage7,220
17May 11, 20097.22−1.78Below flood stage6,150
18May 24, 20087.21−1.79Below flood stage6,130

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 23, 1920: 14.10 ft here, moderate flooding

  • EmbudoNM · May 28, 1920 · 12.90 ft · Moderate

May 16, 1941: 13.54 ft here, moderate flooding

  • EmbudoNM · May 16, 1941 · 13.95 ft · Moderate
  • San Felipe PuebloNM · May 14, 1941 · 10.53 ft · Moderate · its highest
  • EspanolaNM · May 15, 1941 · 10.40 ft · Minor · its highest

October 7, 1911: 13.10 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Del NorteCO · Oct 5, 1911 · 6.80 ft · Moderate · its highest

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
EspanolaNM9.510.40 ft, May 15, 19410
Otowi this gaugeNM9.014.50 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

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge OTWN5, 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.