Colorado · Buena Vista, CO

Arkansas River float season

Gauge 07091200 on the Browns Canyon, Buena Vista to Salida. Browns Canyon's granite-walled wave trains make this the busiest commercial rafting corridor in America, with Buena Vista and Salida shuttles running all summer.

raftkayak Fullest: May–Jul Leanest: Jan–Mar
Arkansas River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 250 1k 2k 3k
median flow for the date middle half of years (25th–75th percentile) most years (10th–90th)

Right now at this gauge

loading CFS

Checking the live gauge…

Live reading from the USGS gauge page for Arkansas River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Buena Vista gauge, the Arkansas River runs fullest May–Jul and leanest Jan–Mar. Where today's reading falls inside that rhythm matters more than the raw number — the same flow that feels thin in spring can be the summer norm. Half of all past June days at this gauge ran above 1,855 CFS; the February median is 208 CFS.

Median of daily flows in each month across this gauge's full record — half of past days ran above these figures, half below.
Month Typical flow (CFS)
January 218
February 208
March 214
April 283
May 750
June 1,855
July 1,080
August 684
September 347
October 293
November 296
December 241

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1965 — 60 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 5,470 CFS, in June 1995. Rivers do that sometimes; it's why the safety panel above isn't decoration.

Planning dates? The trip-window checker shows what flows have historically looked like on any week you pick for this river, or see what a CFS actually looks like.

More Colorado float rivers

Common questions

When is the Arkansas River usually at its fullest?

At the Buena Vista gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is May–Jul, with the single highest monthly median in June (about 1,855 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jan–Mar.

What is a typical summer flow on the Arkansas River?

The July median at this gauge is about 1,080 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Check the ribbon chart above to see how summer compares with the rest of the year here.

Is the Arkansas River safe to float right now?

No flow number can answer that, and this site never labels a river safe. What the data can tell you is how today's reading compares with 41 years of this date's history — well above typical means pushier, colder, faster water. Pair that context with a PFD, a look at the river from the bank, and a call to a local outfitter before you commit.

Which USGS gauge does this page use?

USGS gauge 07091200 (ARKANSAS RIVER NEAR NATHROP, CO), chosen because it best represents the Browns Canyon, Buena Vista to Salida. Daily records here reach back to 1965.

Data: USGS gauge 07091200, approved daily records 1965–2025, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.