River Conditions
Illustrated map of Elephant Butte Lake

River stage

Sanchez, Canadian River

River level
1.77 ft
Status
Below flood stage
7-day change
-0.87 ft
Recent high
4.77 ft
Recent low
-0.39 ft

Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS SNCN5

30-day change
+2.11 ft
Average
0.56 ft
Readings
122
Data span
122 days
Record crest
36.60 ft

In brief

The Canadian River at Sanchez, NM read 1.77 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 19.23 ft below action stage. That is 2.11 ft higher than 30 days earlier.

Source: National Weather Service gauge SNCN5

River level timeline

-1.10.52.23.85.5SEP 13SEP 18SEP 23SEP 28OCT 03OCT 08OCT 13HIGH 4.77LOW -0.391.78 ftLAST READING

Stage threshold profile

Action stage 21.00 ftMinor flooding 22.00 ftModerate flooding 26.00 ftMajor flooding 30.00 ft CURRENT 1.77 ft

Highest crests on record

RankCrestDate
1 36.60 ft 1965-06-18
2 30.00 ft 1942-09-02
3 29.30 ft 1913-06-12
4 23.20 ft 1937-06-03
5 23.00 ft 1941-05-02
6 22.30 ft 1955-05-19
7 21.00 ft 1999-05-01
8 19.08 ft 2014-07-27

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

What happens at each level

  1. 22.00 ft

    Flood waters are reaching the bottom of the highway 419 bridge over the Canadian River. Depending on the amount of debris piled up against the bridge, water may be flowing over the approaches to the bridge.

  2. 26.00 ft

    Flood waters have reached the road level on the highway 419 bridge over the Canadian River. The approaches to the bridge may be impassable, especially if further rises occur.

  3. 30.00 ft

    Flood waters have inundated the highway 419 bridge over the Canadian River, halting traffic on the highway between Mosquero and the village of Trementina.

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

Frequently asked questions

Is the Canadian River flooding at Sanchez?

No. The Canadian River at Sanchez is at 1.77 ft, 19.23 ft below action stage.

What is the flood stage at Sanchez?

The National Weather Service sets action stage 21 ft, minor flooding 22 ft, moderate flooding 26 ft and major flooding 30 ft.

What is the highest the Canadian River has been at Sanchez?

The highest crest on record is 36.6 ft, on 1965-06-18.

Is the Canadian River high or low right now at Sanchez?

At 1.77 ft it is higher than 86% of readings over the last 122 days.

Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge SNCN5); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 07221500). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.