San Juan River level at Navajo Dam
New Mexico · Fishing & wading
Measured at USGS 09355500 — SAN JUAN RIVER NEAR ARCHULETA, NM · NWS forecast point ARCN5
Reading taken · as of 48 min ago
About normal for the date
At 875 CFS, this gauge is running 119% of normal for mid-September — above the 736 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 61 years of record (1963–2023). The stage is 1.9 ft below the NWS action stage of 6.6 ft.
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Flood stages at Navajo Dam
National Weather Service categories for gauge ARCN5, WFO ABQ. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
-
Minor flood 7.0 ft · 5,000 CFS
- 7.0 ft Minor flooding is possible with inundation to structures located close to the river from near Archuleta to Bloomfield.
-
Action 6.6 ft · 4,338 CFS
- Right now 4.73 ft
NWS forecast: 4.64 ft by .
Flow history at Navajo Dam
Daily values from USGS 09355500, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for ARCN5 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Navajo Dam
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 11.00 ft | 18,900 CFS | Jul 27, 1957 |
| 7.19 ft | 6,680 CFS | Mar 27, 1955 |
| 7.00 ft | 4,952 CFS | Jun 16, 2017 |
| 6.93 ft | 5,460 CFS | Jun 9, 2011 |
| 6.89 ft | 5,460 CFS | May 29, 2008 |
| 6.85 ft | 5,380 CFS | Jun 8, 2009 |
| 6.77 ft | 5,090 CFS | May 18, 2005 |
| 6.71 ft | 5,660 CFS | Jun 9, 1997 |
| 6.67 ft | 5,780 CFS | May 23, 1979 |
| 6.65 ft | 5,520 CFS | May 30, 2001 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About San Juan River at Navajo Dam
In New Mexico — the reading paddlers, anglers and outfitters here check before committing to a shuttle. Quality Waters below Navajo Dam; Texas Hole.
San Juan River at Navajo Dam — common questions
3 questions
What makes the flow change on San Juan River at Navajo Dam?
Rain upstream, plus seasonal baseflow. The 12-month chart shows how it behaves through the year.
Is San Juan River at Navajo Dam high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 736 CFS, from 61 years of record (1963–2023). Today is 119% 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 09355500 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for ARCN5 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.