Yampa River level at Steamboat Springs
Colorado · Tubing & floating
Measured at USGS 09239500 — YAMPA RIVER AT STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO · NWS forecast point STMC2
Reading taken · as of 48 min ago
Low and slow — expect to drag in the shallows
At 39 CFS, this gauge is running 41% of normal for mid-September — below the 95 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 116 years of record (1910–2026).
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Flood stages at Steamboat Springs
National Weather Service categories for gauge STMC2, WFO GJT. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
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Major flood 9.5 ft · 8,438 CFS
- 9.8 ft Water reaches the bottom of the 5th Street bridge over the Yampa River.
- 10.0 ft Water reaches the railroad crossing near the intersection of 5th street and Howelson Parkway.
- 10.5 ft The intersection of Howelsen Parkway and 5th Street near Howelsen Park is flooding.
- 12.5 ft Water is flowing over the 5th street bridge and other bridges along the Yampa River in Steamboat Springs, including the 13th Street Bridge and the Shield Drive Bridge.
- 13.5 ft Many portions of Yampa Street are flooded and impassable. Buildings adjacent to the river are flooded. Water has reached some buildings between Yampa Street and Lincoln Avenue.
- 19.5 ft The intersection of Lincoln Avenue and 9th Street is beginning to flood.
- 25.5 ft Water is near the intersection of 5th street and Lincoln Avenue. Major flooding and flood damage is occurring.
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Moderate flood 8.5 ft · 6,939 CFS
- 8.7 ft Portions of Yampa Street are beginning to flood. The intersection of Yampa Street and 9th Street is flooded.
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Minor flood 7.5 ft · 5,439 CFS
- 7.5 ft Minor flooding is occurring along the Yampa River in Steamboat Springs. Water is flowing across some properties adjacent to the river and is approaching buildings.
- 8.1 ft Water reaches the foundations of buildings near Yampa Street and 9th Street, including the Steamboat Rafting Company.
- 8.4 ft Water is approaching buildings along Yampa Street between 5th and 7th Streets, including the Boathouse Pub.
-
Action 7.0 ft · 4,710 CFS
- 7.0 ft Some minor flooding of low-lying agricultural land along the Yampa River upstream and downstream of Steamboat Springs is occurring.
- Right now 0.78 ft
NWS forecast: 0.80 ft by .
Flow history at Steamboat Springs
Daily values from USGS 09239500, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for STMC2 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Steamboat Springs
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 8.90 ft | 4,550 CFS | Jun 8, 1905 |
| 8.90 ft | 5,040 CFS | Jun 13, 1906 |
| 7.65 ft | 5,310 CFS | Jun 3, 1997 |
| 7.50 ft | 3,550 CFS | May 25, 1904 |
| 7.44 ft | 5,190 CFS | Jun 1, 2003 |
| 7.12 ft | 5,670 CFS | May 25, 1984 |
| 7.08 ft | 5,200 CFS | Jun 7, 2011 |
| 6.96 ft | 5,790 CFS | Apr 26, 1974 |
| 6.89 ft | 3,930 CFS | May 17, 1996 |
| 6.87 ft | 4,850 CFS | May 29, 2014 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Yampa River at Steamboat Springs
In Colorado — the reading paddlers, anglers and outfitters here check before committing to a shuttle. City permits commercial tubing only below 700 cfs.
Yampa River at Steamboat Springs — common questions
3 questions
Does rain upstream change Yampa River at Steamboat Springs 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 Yampa River at Steamboat Springs high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 95 CFS, from 116 years of record (1910–2026). Today is 41% 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 09239500 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for STMC2 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.