Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam

Highest listed crest 7.05 ftFlood stage 6.6 ft12 crests since 1979

The Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam crested above flood stage 1 time among the 12 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1979 to 2009. The highest, 7.05 ft on May 31, 1984, was minor flooding, 0.45 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
7.05 ft
May 31, 1984; 10,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.6 ft
Major flooding from 9.0 ft
Crests at major
0
1 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
May 31, 1984
7.05 ft, minor flooding
Location
Sandoval 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 Grande below Cochiti Dam
Action stage6.03May 7, 1985The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.61May 31, 1984Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.50—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

12 crests from 1979 to 2009. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam, 1979 to 2009 456789ft Flood stage 6.6 ftMajor 9.0 ft May 31, 1979: 6.13 ft, action stage; 6,960 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1980: 6.03 ft, action stage; 6,880 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1983: 5.95 ft, below flood stage; 6,730 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1984: 7.05 ft, minor flooding; 10,200 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1985: 6.20 ft, action stage; 8,460 cubic feet per secondJun 4, 1993: 5.74 ft, below flood stage; 7,230 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1995: 5.54 ft, below flood stage; 6,650 cubic feet per secondMay 27, 1999: 4.90 ft, below flood stage; 4,950 cubic feet per secondMay 22, 2001: 4.55 ft, below flood stage; 4,090 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2005: 5.58 ft, below flood stage; 6,770 cubic feet per secondMay 24, 2008: 5.55 ft, below flood stage; 6,450 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 2009: 5.16 ft, below flood stage; 5,390 cubic feet per second Highest, 7.05 ft, May 31, 1984 1980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rio Grande below Cochiti Dam 1970s: 0 1980s: 1 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 1970s1980s1990s2000s
  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 below Cochiti Dam
1May 31, 19847.05+0.45Minor10,200
2May 7, 19856.20−0.40Action8,460
3May 31, 19796.13−0.47Action6,960
4May 28, 19806.03−0.57Action6,880
5Jun 15, 19835.95−0.65Below flood stage6,730
6Jun 4, 19935.74−0.86Below flood stage7,230
7Jun 1, 20055.58−1.02Below flood stage6,770
8May 24, 20085.55−1.05Below flood stage6,450
9May 25, 19955.54−1.06Below flood stage6,650
10May 12, 20095.16−1.44Below flood stage5,390
11May 27, 19994.90−1.70Below flood stage4,950
12May 22, 20014.55−2.05Below flood stage4,090

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
OtowiNM9.014.50 ft, Sep 29, 19040
Wagon Wheel GapCO6.06.10 ft, Jun 9, 19850
Cochiti Dam this gaugeNM6.67.05 ft, May 31, 19840
Del NorteCO5.56.80 ft, Oct 5, 19110
LobatosCO9.010.00 ft, Jun 18, 19030

Other gauges in Sandoval County

Flood gauges in Sandoval County
Jemez Pueblo7.011.94 ft, Aug 16, 20060
Jemez Dam10.012.09 ft, Sep 29, 20050
San Felipe Pueblo8.510.53 ft, May 14, 19410
Guadalupe14.014.21 ft, Aug 12, 19520

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CTDN5, 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.