New Mexico · Tierra Amarilla, NM

Rio Chama float season

Gauge 08285500 on the El Vado to Big Eddy through the Chama River Canyon Wilderness. A permit-lottery wilderness float beneath the sandstone cliffs Georgia O'Keeffe painted, run as a lazy multi-day in rafts and canoes.

raftcanoekayak Fullest: Apr–Jun Leanest: Jan–Mar
Rio Chama — 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 Rio Chama. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Tierra Amarilla gauge, the Rio Chama runs fullest Apr–Jun 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 May days at this gauge ran above 964 CFS; the February median is 103 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 104
February 103
March 156
April 502
May 964
June 661
July 451
August 445
September 317
October 148
November 141
December 181

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1971 — 55 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 5,790 CFS, in May 1973. 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 New Mexico float rivers

Common questions

When is the Rio Chama usually at its fullest?

At the Tierra Amarilla gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Apr–Jun, with the single highest monthly median in May (about 964 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jan–Mar.

What is a typical summer flow on the Rio Chama?

The July median at this gauge is about 451 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 Rio Chama 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 55 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 08285500 (RIO CHAMA BELOW EL VADO DAM, NM), chosen because it best represents the El Vado to Big Eddy through the Chama River Canyon Wilderness. Daily records here reach back to 1971.

Data: USGS gauge 08285500, approved daily records 1971–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.