2026-03-13T20:00:00-06:00
The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect from 11 AM to 8 PM MDT Friday. A Fire Weather Watch has also been issued. This Fire Weather Watch for wind and low relative humidity is in effect from Saturday morning through Saturday evening. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248 and 249. * TIMING...For the first Red Flag Warning, until 9 PM MDT this evening. For the second Red Flag Warning, from 11 AM to 8 PM MDT Friday. For the Fire Weather Watch, from Saturday morning through Saturday evening. * WINDS...On Thursday, west 30 to 60 mph with gusts up to 90 mph, strongest winds near the Cheyenne Ridge. On Friday, west winds 25 to 35 with gusts around 35 to 50 mph. On Saturday, west winds 25 to 35 with gusts around 40 to 60 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 percent. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a wildfire.
Summary
Total streamflow across the
Gila River
was last observed at
673
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
1,335
acre-ft of water today; about 40%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
1,674 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 Head Of Safford Valley
reporting a streamflow rate of 157 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Gila River Near Dome
with a gauge stage of 14.04 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.
15-Day Weather Outlook
River Details
| Last Updated | 2026-03-12 |
| Discharge Volume | 1,335 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
673.1 cfs
-117.3 cfs (-14.84%) |
| Percent of Normal | 40.22% |
| Maximum |
62,832.0 cfs
2023-03-24 |
| Seasonal Avg | 1,674 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gila River Near Gila
USGS 09430500 |
83 cfs | 1.59 ft | 1.96 | |||||
|
Gila River Near Redrock
USGS 09431500 |
110 cfs | 4.73 ft | 0.92 | |||||
|
Gila River Below Blue Creek
USGS 09432000 |
100 cfs | 5.33 ft | 0 | |||||
|
Gila River At Duncan
USGS 09439000 |
60 cfs | 7.53 ft | -10.13 | |||||
|
Gila River Near Clifton
USGS 09442000 |
80 cfs | 2.72 ft | -7.59 | |||||
|
Gila River At Head Of Safford Valley
USGS 09448500 |
157 cfs | 7.3 ft | -16.04 | |||||
|
Gila River At Calva
USGS 09466500 |
47 cfs | 2.08 ft | 1.74 | |||||
|
Gila River Below Coolidge Dam
USGS 09469500 |
106 cfs | 0.99 ft | 0.95 | |||||
|
Gila River At Kelvin
USGS 09474000 |
117 cfs | 7.58 ft | -3.31 | |||||
|
Gila River Near Maricopa
USGS 09479350 |
0 cfs | 0.96 ft | None | |||||
|
Gila River At Estrella Parkway
USGS 09514100 |
0 cfs | 3.45 ft | None | |||||
|
Gila R Blw Gillespie Dam
USGS 09519501 |
6 cfs | 4.04 ft | 0 | |||||
|
Gila River Below Painted Rock Dam
USGS 09519800 |
0 cfs | 0.94 ft | None | |||||
|
Gila River Near Dateland
USGS 09520280 |
0 cfs | 2.59 ft | None | |||||
|
Gila River Near Dome
USGS 09520500 |
9 cfs | 14.04 ft | -6.03 |
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.