Uncompahgre River river
Total streamflow across the Uncompahgre River was last observed at 158 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 313 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 1,331 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2019-07-02 when daily discharge volume was observed at 5,613 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Uncompahgre River Near Ouray reporting a streamflow rate of 158 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Uncompahgre River At Colona with a gauge stage of 3.42 ft. This river is monitored from 5 different streamgauging stations along the Uncompahgre River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 7,592 ft, the Uncompahgre River Near Ouray.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Uncompahgre River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Uncompahgre River
All 5 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Uncompahgre River Near Ouray
CO
USGS 09146020
|
158 | 1.59 | 3.3 | 50% | 8 | 1,120 | 7,592 |
|
Uncompahgre River Near Ridgway
CO
USGS 09146200
|
132 | 2.36 | 14.8 | 41% | 32 | 1,420 | 6,886 |
|
Uncompahgre River Below Ridgway Reservoir
CO
USGS 09147025
|
96 | 2.05 | 0.0 | 39% | 31 | 1,030 | 6,659 |
|
Uncompahgre River At Colona
CO
USGS 09147500
|
46 | 3.42 | 5.8 | 13% | 16 | 1,570 | 6,324 |
|
Uncompahgre River At Delta
CO
USGS 09149500
|
135 | 2.70 | -6.3 | 73% | 26 | 1,430 | 4,933 |
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
Uncompahgre River
The Uncompahgre River is a 75-mile-long waterway in southwestern Colorado, originating in the San Juan Mountains and flowing into the Gunnison River. The river has a rich history, being used by Native American tribes and settlers for irrigation and transportation. Today, the river is used for both recreational and agricultural purposes. The Taylor Park Reservoir and the Ridgway Reservoir are two large reservoirs along the river that provide water for irrigation, as well as recreational opportunities such as fishing, boating, and camping. Additionally, there are several smaller dams along the river that help regulate water flow for agricultural use. The Uncompahgre River is an important resource for the region, providing water for crops and supporting a variety of wildlife habitats.
Recreation along the Uncompahgre River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Uncompahgre 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 Uncompahgre River
Where does the data for the Uncompahgre 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.