2025-12-20T00:00:00-07:00
...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FRIDAY... Critical fire weather conditions over the northeast plains will gradually ease into this evening. Strong winds will redevelop in the foothills overnight, with high winds spreading slowly east across the nearby adjacent plains west of I-25 through the afternoon. Extremely high wind gusts of 85-100 mph combined with humidities dropping into the 10-20 percent range will create potential for fast moving wildfires, should any new starts occur. Winds toward I-25 and eastward will be slower to develop, and also speeds will be considerably lighter. That said, gusts of 25-40 mph are still expected to combine with very low humidity and cured grasses to support critical fire weather conditions. Areas farther east into eastern Adams, Arapahoe, Elbert, and Lincoln counties have more uncertainty if those winds even develop, so those locations remain under a Fire Weather Watch. Such conditions may be a longer duration than usual, with potential for low humidity to extend well into the evening hours. The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect from 10 AM Friday to midnight MST Friday night. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 239, 240, 241 and 243. * TIMING...From 10 AM Friday to midnight MST Friday night. * WINDS...West 20 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 80 mph or more immediately next to the foothills. Gusts closer to 40 mph along and east of I-25. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 8 percent. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a fast moving wildfire.
Summary
Total streamflow across the
Gila River
was last observed at
477
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
946
acre-ft of water today; about 41%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
1,166 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2023-03-24 when daily discharge volume was observed at
62,832 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Gila River At Kelvin
reporting a streamflow rate of 96.5 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Gila River Near Dome
with a gauge stage of 14.2 ft.
This river is monitored from 15 different streamgauging stations along the Gila River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 4,661 ft, the
Gila River Near Gila.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-18 |
| Discharge Volume | 946 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
476.7 cfs
+112.0 cfs (+30.71%) |
| Percent of Normal | 40.89% |
| Maximum |
62,832.0 cfs
2023-03-24 |
| Seasonal Avg | 1,166 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gila River Near Gila
USGS 09430500 |
60 cfs | 1.31 ft | -2.12 | |||||
|
Gila River Near Redrock
USGS 09431500 |
65 cfs | 4.35 ft | 11.6 | |||||
|
Gila River Below Blue Creek
USGS 09432000 |
57 cfs | 5.11 ft | 0 | |||||
|
Gila River At Duncan
USGS 09439000 |
29 cfs | 7.11 ft | -8.95 | |||||
|
Gila River Near Clifton
USGS 09442000 |
50 cfs | 2.44 ft | 1.63 | |||||
|
Gila River At Head Of Safford Valley
USGS 09448500 |
90 cfs | 6.84 ft | 8.48 | |||||
|
Gila River At Calva
USGS 09466500 |
72 cfs | 2.38 ft | 29.19 | |||||
|
Gila River Below Coolidge Dam
USGS 09469500 |
94 cfs | 0.93 ft | -21.92 | |||||
|
Gila River At Kelvin
USGS 09474000 |
97 cfs | 7.67 ft | -4.46 | |||||
|
Gila River Near Maricopa
USGS 09479350 |
0 cfs | 0.97 ft | None | |||||
|
Gila River At Estrella Parkway
USGS 09514100 |
0 cfs | 3.44 ft | None | |||||
|
Gila R Blw Gillespie Dam
USGS 09519501 |
6 cfs | 4.02 ft | 0 | |||||
|
Gila River Below Painted Rock Dam
USGS 09519800 |
0 cfs | 0.94 ft | None | |||||
|
Gila River Near Dateland
USGS 09520280 |
0 cfs | 2.6 ft | None | |||||
|
Gila River Near Dome
USGS 09520500 |
14 cfs | 14.2 ft | -1.38 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Gila River (; O'odham [Pima]: Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil) is a 649-mile (1,044 km)-long tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of nearly 60,000 square miles (160,000 km2) that lies mainly within the U.S., but also extends into northern Sonora, Mexico. Indigenous peoples have lived along the river for at least 2,000 years, establishing complex agricultural societies before European exploration of the region began in the 16th century. However, European Americans did not permanently settle the Gila River watershed until the mid-19th century.
During the 20th century, human development of the Gila River watershed necessitated the construction of large diversion and flood control structures on the river and its tributaries, and consequently the Gila now contributes only a small fraction of its historic flow to the Colorado. The historic natural discharge of the river is around 1,900 cubic feet per second (54 m3/s), and is now only 247 cubic feet per second (7.0 m3/s). These engineering projects have transformed much of the river valley and its surrounds from arid desert to irrigated land, and supply water to the more than five million people, mainly in the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas, who live in the watershed.