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Vermejo River above Dawson

Highest listed crest 15.25 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft6 crests since 1965

The Vermejo River above Dawson crested above flood stage 5 times among the 6 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1965 to 2004. The highest, 15.25 ft on June 17, 1965, was moderate flooding, 6.25 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
15.25 ft
June 17, 1965; 12,600 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
9.0 ft
Major flooding from 16.0 ft
Crests at major
0
5 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 1, 2002
11.26 ft, minor flooding
Location
Colfax 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, Vermejo River above Dawson
Action stage9.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)9.03Sep 1, 2002Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.02Jun 9, 1988Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage16.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

6 crests from 1965 to 2004. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Vermejo River above Dawson, 1965 to 2004 46810121416ft Flood stage 9.0 ftMajor 16.0 ft Jun 17, 1965: 15.25 ft, moderate flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondJul 20, 1976: 11.22 ft, minor flooding; 5,740 cubic feet per secondJun 9, 1988: 14.23 ft, moderate flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondAug 5, 1999: 9.82 ft, minor flooding; 4,230 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2002: 11.26 ft, minor flooding; 5,170 cubic feet per secondJul 26, 2004: 5.61 ft, below flood stage; 1,280 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.25 ft, Jun 17, 1965 1970198019902000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Vermejo River above Dawson 1960s: 1 1 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 1 2000s: 1 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s
  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. 3 crests measured on an earlier gauge datum are left out: 13.90 ft on Aug 2, 1921; 13.50 ft on Aug 6, 1940; 11.10 ft on May 31, 1948.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Vermejo River above Dawson
1Jun 17, 196515.25+6.25Moderate12,600
2Jun 9, 198814.23+5.23Moderate10,400
3Sep 1, 200211.26+2.26Minor5,170
4Jul 20, 197611.22+2.22Minor5,740
5Aug 5, 19999.82+0.82Minor4,230
6Jul 26, 20045.61−3.39Below flood stage1,280

Other gauges in Colfax County

Flood gauges in Colfax County
Taylor Springs38.047.40 ft, Jun 18, 19650
Cimarron5.012.42 ft, Jun 17, 19650
Springer14.019.96 ft, Jun 18, 19650

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DAWN5, 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.