Dolores River Flow
As of 2026-08-03, the Dolores River is flowing at a combined 194 cfs across 7 USGS streamgauges — 21% of normal for this time of year, versus a seasonal average of 928 cfs.
Total streamflow across the Dolores River was last observed at 194 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 384 acre-ft of water today; about 21% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 928 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2023-05-19 when daily discharge volume was observed at 33,680 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Dolores River At Dolores reporting a streamflow rate of 112 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Dolores River Near Cisco with a gauge stage of 6.62 ft. This river is monitored from 7 different streamgauging stations along the Dolores River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 8,421 ft, the Dolores River Below Rico.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Dolores River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Dolores River
All 7 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dolores River Below Rico
CO
USGS 09165000
|
21 | 1.42 | -8.4 | 28% | 11 | 1,450 | 8,421 |
|
Dolores River At Dolores
CO
USGS 09166500
|
112 | 2.56 | -5.1 | 62% | 21 | 6,270 | 6,941 |
|
Dolores River Near Slick Rock
CO
USGS 09168730
|
13 | 3.59 | -29.8 | 20% | 0 | 4,220 | 5,440 |
|
Dolores River At Bedrock
CO
USGS 09169500
|
1 | 0.13 | -44.8 | 2% | 0 | 4,110 | 4,954 |
|
Dolores River Near Bedrock
CO
USGS 09171100
|
4 | 2.01 | -21.0 | 6% | 0 | 4,160 | 4,913 |
|
Dolores River Near Gateway
CO
USGS 09179450
|
26 | 5.85 | -25.3 | 15% | 4 | 6,620 | 4,576 |
|
Dolores River Near Cisco
UT
USGS 09180000
|
35 | 6.62 | -21.8 | 18% | 3 | 8,100 | 4,171 |
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
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
Dolores River
The Dolores River is a tributary of the Colorado River, located in southwestern Colorado, United States. The river is approximately 250 miles long and has a drainage area of about 4,000 square miles. The river was historically used by the Ancestral Puebloans and later by Spanish explorers. The Dolores River has several reservoirs and dams, including the McPhee Dam and Reservoir which provides water for agricultural use in the area. The river also has significant recreational use, including rafting and fishing. The Dolores River is known for its scenic beauty and is an important habitat for wildlife, including several species of fish and birds. The river has faced environmental threats from oil and gas development, along with drought and climate change.
Recreation along the Dolores River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Fishing
Track the Dolores 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.
About the Dolores River
How is the Dolores River flowing right now?
As of 2026-08-03, the Dolores River is flowing at a combined 194 cfs across its USGS streamgauges, about 21% of normal for this date. The live per-gauge breakdown and 24-hour trend are shown above.
Is the Dolores River running high or low right now?
Check the percent-of-normal figure on this page: above 100% means the river is running higher than its seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower. The per-gauge table shows which reaches are highest and lowest.
Where does the data for the Dolores 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.