River Conditions
Illustrated map of Grand Lake

River stage

Windy Gap, Colorado River

River level
3.49 ft
Status
Below flood stage
7-day change
+0.15 ft
Recent high
4.23 ft
Recent low
3.34 ft

Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS CAWC2

30-day change
-0.35 ft
Average
3.86 ft
Readings
122
Data span
122 days
Record crest
7.40 ft

In brief

The Colorado River at Windy Gap, CO read 3.49 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 3.01 ft below action stage. That is 0.35 ft lower than 30 days earlier.

Source: National Weather Service gauge CAWC2

River level timeline

3.03.33.74.04.3SEP 13SEP 18SEP 23SEP 28OCT 03OCT 08OCT 13HIGH 3.98LOW 3.343.48 ftLAST READING

Stage threshold profile

Action stage 6.50 ftMinor flooding 8.00 ftModerate flooding 10.00 ftMajor flooding 12.00 ft CURRENT 3.49 ft

Highest crests on record

RankCrestDate
1 7.40 ft 2011-06-25
2 7.34 ft 1984-05-25
3 6.65 ft 2017-06-23
4 6.11 ft 2019-07-15
5 5.51 ft 2020-06-04
6 5.28 ft 2018-06-01
7 4.71 ft 2021-05-11

Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.

What happens at each level

  1. 6.50 ft

    The river is out of its banks and into fields.

  2. 8.00 ft

    Flooding occurs near houses in Parshall.

  3. 10.00 ft

    Houses flood. Widespread flooding of agricultural land occurs.

  4. 12.00 ft

    Record flooding occurs.

Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Colorado River flooding at Windy Gap?

No. The Colorado River at Windy Gap is at 3.49 ft, 3.01 ft below action stage.

What is the flood stage at Windy Gap?

The National Weather Service sets action stage 6.5 ft, minor flooding 8 ft, moderate flooding 10 ft and major flooding 12 ft.

What is the highest the Colorado River has been at Windy Gap?

The highest crest on record is 7.4 ft, on 2011-06-25.

Is the Colorado River high or low right now at Windy Gap?

At 3.49 ft it is higher than 4% of readings over the last 122 days.

Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge CAWC2); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 09034250). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.