Virgin River level at Springdale
Utah · Flood watch
Measured at USGS 09405500 — NORTH FORK VIRGIN RIVER NEAR SPRINGDALE, UT · NWS forecast point NFVU1
Reading taken · as of 13 min ago
Normal for the date
At 36 CFS, this gauge is running 91% of normal for mid-September — close to the 40 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 37 years of record (1989–2026).
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Flood stages at Springdale
National Weather Service categories for gauge NFVU1, WFO SLC. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
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Major flood 19.0 ft · 14,168 CFS
- 19.0 ft At 19.0 ft, major flooding will occur to the areas adjacent to the North Fork Virgin River. Areas include Springdale, Rockville, and Virgin.
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Moderate flood 18.0 ft · 11,473 CFS
- 18.0 ft At 18.0 ft, moderate flooding of the areas adjacent to the North Fork Virgin River including Springdale, Rockville, and Virgin River.
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Minor flood 17.0 ft · 9,180 CFS
- 17.0 ft At 17.0 ft, minor flooding will occur along the North Fork Virgin River in Zion National Park. Structures in this area may be damaged and take on water.
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Action 16.0 ft · 7,243 CFS
- Right now 7.09 ft
NWS forecast: 7.21 ft by .
Flow history at Springdale
Daily values from USGS 09405500, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for NFVU1 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Springdale
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 13.00 ft | 9,150 CFS | Dec 6, 1966 |
| 10.25 ft | 5,880 CFS | Sep 17, 1961 |
| 9.80 ft | 6,060 CFS | Dec 21, 2011 |
| 9.18 ft | 5,450 CFS | Jan 11, 2005 |
| 8.84 ft | 4,340 CFS | Aug 5, 1963 |
| 8.52 ft | 4,380 CFS | Sep 11, 1998 |
| 7.53 ft | 3,540 CFS | Aug 30, 1999 |
| 7.50 ft | 3,560 CFS | Aug 10, 1997 |
| 7.30 ft | 3,720 CFS | Aug 31, 2006 |
| 7.05 ft | 3,620 CFS | Aug 25, 2013 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Virgin River at Springdale
The reference gauge for this reach in Utah — what local emergency managers and the National Weather Service watch when the river comes up. Zion Narrows closes above 150 CFS; flash-flood watch.
Virgin River at Springdale — common questions
3 questions
What is flood stage at Springdale?
The National Weather Service sets minor flood stage at this gauge at 17.0 ft, moderate at 18.0 ft, and major at 19.0 ft. Action stage — the level at which agencies begin preparing — is 16.0 ft. The ladder on this page shows each threshold against the current reading, with the NWS's own impact statements at each level.
Is Virgin River at Springdale high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 40 CFS, from 37 years of record (1989–2026). Today is 91% 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 09405500 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for NFVU1 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.