Boulder Creek level at Boulder
Colorado · Tubing & floating
Measured at USGS 06730200 — BOULDER CREEK AT NORTH 75TH ST. NEAR BOULDER, CO · NWS forecast point BOLC2
Reading taken · as of 48 min ago
Running thin — a slow, scrapey float
At 38 CFS, this gauge is running 61% of normal for mid-September — below the 63 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 39 years of record (1987–2026). The stage is 2.8 ft below the NWS action stage of 7.5 ft.
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Flood stages at Boulder
National Weather Service categories for gauge BOLC2, WFO BOU. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
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Major flood 10.0 ft
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Moderate flood 9.0 ft
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Minor flood 8.0 ft
- 8.0 ft CONSIDERABLE LOWLAND FLOODING IN EAST BOULDER.
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Action 7.5 ft
- 7.5 ft WATER OVERFLOWS BANKS INTO LOW LYING AREAS.
- Right now 4.71 ft
Flow history at Boulder
Daily values from USGS 06730200, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for BOLC2 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Boulder
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 10.60 ft | 8,400 CFS | Sep 13, 2013 |
| 7.85 ft | 1,950 CFS | May 17, 1995 |
| 7.41 ft | 1,460 CFS | May 9, 2015 |
| 7.32 ft | 1,500 CFS | Jun 13, 1997 |
| 7.16 ft | 1,330 CFS | Aug 5, 1999 |
| 7.11 ft | 120 CFS | May 30, 2014 |
| 7.00 ft | 1,180 CFS | Jul 17, 2000 |
| 6.98 ft | 1,220 CFS | Jul 13, 2011 |
| 6.97 ft | 1,000 CFS | May 26, 1996 |
| 6.76 ft | 1,080 CFS | Jun 9, 1987 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Boulder Creek at Boulder
In Colorado — the reading paddlers, anglers and outfitters here check before committing to a shuttle. Boulder Creek path; 2013 flood reference.
Boulder Creek at Boulder — common questions
3 questions
Does rain upstream change Boulder Creek at Boulder quickly?
Yes. It is free-flowing, so rain upstream moves it directly. Several feet in a few hours is normal after a heavy storm.
Is Boulder Creek at Boulder high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 63 CFS, from 39 years of record (1987–2026). Today is 61% of it. The comparison is what makes the raw number mean anything: the same reading is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 06730200 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for BOLC2 a few times a day — more often when the river is rising. This page refreshes from both when you open it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.