Navajo River river
Total streamflow across the Navajo River was last observed at 183 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 363 acre-ft of water today; about 61% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 298 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2020-07-27 when daily discharge volume was observed at 1,923 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Navajo R At Banded Peak Ranch reporting a streamflow rate of 183.00 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Navajo River, with a gauge stage of 3.36 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Navajo River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 7,952 ft, the Navajo R At Banded Peak Ranch.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Navajo River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Navajo River
All 2 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Navajo R At Banded Peak Ranch
CO
USGS 09344000
|
183 | 3.36 | 10.2 | 74% | 3 | 1,360 | 7,952 |
|
Navajo River Bl Oso Diversion Dam Nr Chromo
CO
USGS 09344400
|
92 | 1.94 | 0.9 | 103% | 10 | 1,100 | 7,651 |
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
Navajo River
The Navajo River is a tributary of the San Juan River, located in the southwestern region of the United States. The river runs approximately 100 miles through southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Historically, the Navajo people utilized the river as a source of water for crops and livestock. Today, the river is primarily used for recreation, including fishing and camping. The river is dammed in several places, including the Navajo Dam, which was built in the 1960s for flood control and hydropower generation. The reservoir created by the dam, Navajo Lake, is a popular spot for boating and fishing. The river's hydrology is influenced by snowmelt, rainfall, and irrigation runoff, and it provides water for agricultural use in the region.
Recreation along the Navajo River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Fishing
- Platoro Reservoir
- Kerr Lake Fishing Site
- Lost Lake
- Spectacle Lake Fishing Site
- Alberta Park Reservoir
- La Jara Reservoir
Paddle runs
- North Fork--Sec 8, T35n, R2e To Confluence With Middle Fork
- Middle Fork--Sec 13, T35n, R2e To Confluence Of Three Forks--Sec 14, T35n, R3e
- El Rito Azul--Blue Lake (Sec 26, T35n, R3e) And Portion Of Conejos Above Platoro Reservoir To Upper Reach Of Platoro Reservoir--Sec 6, T35n, R4e
- Sec 17, T35n, R4e To Sec 36, T35n, R4e
- South Fork--Sec 19, T35n, R4e To Sec 36, T35n, R4 1/2e
- Lake Fork--Confluence With South Fork To 1 Mile Below Town Of Platoro
Track the Navajo 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 Navajo River
Where does the data for the Navajo 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.