Purgatoire River river
Total streamflow across the Purgatoire River was last observed at 81 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 161 acre-ft of water today; about 12% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 691 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2017-05-13 when daily discharge volume was observed at 11,568 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Purgatoire River At Trinidad reporting a streamflow rate of 34.70 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Purgatoire River At Rock Crossing Nr Timpas with a gauge stage of 5.5 ft. This river is monitored from 7 different streamgauging stations along the Purgatoire River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 6,265 ft, the Purgatoire River At Madrid.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Purgatoire River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Purgatoire 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Purgatoire River At Madrid
CO
USGS 07124200
|
14 | 2.73 | 6.2 | 15% | 2 | 6,200 | 6,265 |
|
Purgatoire River Below Trinidad Lake
CO
USGS 07124410
|
33 | 4.78 | 0.0 | 25% | 0 | 1,020 | 6,098 |
|
Purgatoire River At Trinidad
CO
USGS 07124500
|
35 | 1.32 | 0.0 | 28% | 0 | 1,940 | 5,998 |
|
Purgatoire River Near Thatcher
CO
USGS 07126300
|
3 | 2.05 | 291.0 | 14% | 0 | 6,020 | 4,790 |
|
Purgatoire River At Rock Crossing Nr Timpas
CO
USGS 07126485
|
0 | 5.50 | 32.0 | 2% | 0 | 3,890 | 4,352 |
|
Purgatoire River At Ninemile Dam
CO
USGS 07126500
|
0 | 2.66 | · | 0% | 0 | 3,640 | 4,244 |
|
Purgatoire River Near Las Animas
CO
USGS 07128500
|
1 | 3.38 | 27.5 | 5% | 0 | 3,130 | 3,885 |
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
Purgatoire River
The Purgatoire River, also known as the Purgatory River, is a 200-mile-long tributary of the Arkansas River in southern Colorado and western Kansas. The river has a rich history dating back to the ancient Puebloan people who lived in the area. The river is known for its unique geology and hydrology, including the famous Picketwire Canyonlands, where dinosaur tracks can be seen. The river's flow is regulated by several reservoirs and dams, including the Purgatoire River Diversion Dam and the Valdez Reservoir. The river is used for agricultural purposes, including irrigation, and is a popular destination for recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and camping. The Purgatoire River is an important natural resource in the region, providing water for wildlife and people alike.
Recreation along the Purgatoire River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Purgatoire 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 Purgatoire River
Where does the data for the Purgatoire 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.