Live River Conditions
Arkansas River Flows
Check current Arkansas River flows from the headwaters near Leadville through Buena Vista, Browns Canyon, Salida, and the Royal Gorge. Live discharge is shown in cubic feet per second (CFS) using key Colorado river gauges.
River Flows
Current Arkansas River Headwaters flows
These gauges provide a useful snapshot of conditions along the main Arkansas River Headwaters corridor. Readings update automatically from Colorado Division of Water Resources data.
Arkansas River At Granite
Gauge ARKGRNCO
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Arkansas River Near Nathrop
Gauge ARKNATCO
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Arkansas River Near Wellsville
Gauge ARKWELCO
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Arkansas River At Parkdale
Gauge ARKPARCO
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Flow data is supplied by Colorado DWR/CDSS and may be provisional. Conditions can vary significantly between gauges.
River Guide
Which Arkansas River gauge should I use?
The Arkansas changes as tributaries enter the river, water is diverted, and flows move downstream. The closest upstream or downstream gauge is usually more useful than looking at one number for the entire river.
Leadville
Best reference for the Arkansas River headwaters and Hayden Meadows.
Granite
A key upper-river gauge for Pine Creek, The Numbers, Granite, and the river approaching Buena Vista.
Nathrop
The most useful mainstem reference for Nathrop and Browns Canyon.
Wellsville
Useful for understanding flows downstream of Salida and through the upper Bighorn Sheep Canyon corridor.
Parkdale
The key lower-river reference near the entrance to the Royal Gorge.
Understanding The Numbers
What does CFS mean?
CFS stands for cubic feet per second. It measures how much water passes a point in the river each second.
A higher CFS generally means more water, stronger currents, and larger hydraulics. A lower CFS means less water, but it does not automatically mean the river is easier. Rocks, channels, gradient, boat size, and the specific river section all matter.
The same CFS can feel completely different on two different parts of the Arkansas River, which is why ARG shows several gauges instead of treating the river as one uniform flow.
Flow is not a difficulty rating
River levels are only one part of evaluating conditions. Rapid difficulty, hazards, water temperature, weather, experience, equipment, and changing river features should also be considered before getting on the water.