River Report

Cimarron River river

12 streamgauges 18% of normal Last updated 2026-05-18
⚠ Freeze Warning · Freeze Warning issued May 18 at 11:36AM MDT until May 19 at 8:00AM MDT by NWS Denver CO
Aggregate flow
485cfs
% of normal
18%
Daily volume
962AF
Seasonal avg
2,740cfs

Total streamflow across the Cimarron River was last observed at 485 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 962 acre-ft of water today; about 18% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 2,740 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-05-22 when daily discharge volume was observed at 217,928 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Cimarron River Near Ripley reporting a streamflow rate of 257 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Cimarron River Near Dover with a gauge stage of 9.19 ft. This river is monitored from 12 different streamgauging stations along the Cimarron River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 8,643 ft, the Cimarron River Near Cimarron.

Max discharge

Cimarron River Near Ripley

257cfs
Highest stage

Cimarron River Near Dover

9.19ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Cimarron River Near Cimarron

8,643ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Cimarron River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.

Total streamflow

Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily

Per-gauge breakdown

Every streamgauge along the Cimarron River

All 12 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.

Streamgauge Streamflow (cfs) Gauge stage (ft) 24h Δ (%) % Normal Min (cfs) Max (cfs) Elevation (ft)
Cimarron River Near Cimarron CO
USGS 09126000
100 1.77 0.0 78% 6 1,790 8,643
Cimarron River Below Eagle Nest Dam NM
USGS 07206000
19 0.72 0.0 104% 0 303 8,058
Cimarron River Bl Squaw Creek CO
USGS 09127000
67 8.06 14.6 30% 1 1,930 6,863
Cimarron River Near Cimarron NM
USGS 07207000
11 1.12 -3.3 27% 0 15,500 6,628
Cimarron River Near Kenton OK
USGS 07154500
· 4.77 · 0% 0 43,400 4,282
Cimarron River Near Forgan KS
USGS 07156900
14 2.29 0.0 66% 1 69,000 2,326
Cimarron R Near Buttermilk KS
USGS 07157740
4 7.13 -10.3 9% 0 5,740 1,713
Cimarron River Near Buffalo OK
USGS 07157950
22 3.39 39.5 61% 0 26,400 1,613
Cimarron River Near Waynoka OK
USGS 07158000
16 5.49 -19.5 9% 0 94,500 1,372
Cimarron River Near Dover OK
USGS 07159100
45 9.19 -29.6 11% 3 123,000 1,018
Cimarron River Near Guthrie OK
USGS 07160000
108 5.34 -19.3 17% 13 158,000 908
Cimarron River Near Ripley OK
USGS 07161450
257 6.99 -3.3 19% 3 141,000 804
Annual peaks

Maximum streamflow discharge by year

The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.

Annual peak discharge

From the river's full record · one point per water year

Profile

Streamflow elevation profile

Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.

Elevation vs streamflow

One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage

About this river

Cimarron River

The Cimarron River is a 698-mile long river that flows from the northeastern corner of New Mexico through Oklahoma and into Kansas. The river has a rich history, having served as an important trade route for Native American tribes and early American settlers. Today, the river is used for irrigation, with several reservoirs and dams along its course, including the Ute Reservoir and the Conchas Dam. These reservoirs provide water for agricultural purposes and also offer recreational activities such as boating and fishing. Despite its importance to the region, the Cimarron River has experienced periods of drought and pollution, leading to concerns about its long-term sustainability.

Around the river

Recreation along the Cimarron River

Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.

Track the Cimarron River in the Snoflo app

Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.

FAQ

About the Cimarron River

Where does the data for the Cimarron River come from?

Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.

How is "percent of normal" calculated?

Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).

Why are some gauges showing very different flows?

Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.

What's the elevation profile chart showing?

Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.

Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?

Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.

Premium feature

Favorites and alerts are part of Snoflo Premium. Save rivers + gauges, set discharge thresholds, and get push notifications when conditions cross.

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Manage alerts in the Snoflo app

River-level alerts are configured per-gauge in the iOS app. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.

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