Santa Cruz River at Cortaro, AZ

Pima County, Arizona · USGS gauge 09486500 · NWS CSCA3 · Santa Cruz River flood status · Arizona river levels

Nearby: river levels near Tucson

Is Santa Cruz River at Cortaro, AZ flooding right now?

Santa Cruz River at Cortaro, AZ measured 8.20 ft on 2026-09-11 01:45:00 UTC. That observation was 10.3 ft below its 18.5 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
8.20 ft
as of 57 min ago
Streamflow
28 cfs
data refreshed 10 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 18.5 ft, with major flooding at 20.7 ft. The highest crest on record was 16.69 ft on Sat, Jul 31, 2010.

Flood forecast

NWS forecast, issued 11 hours ago. Forecasts are issued for select river points and update through the day.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action17.2 ft9.0 ft below
Minor flood18.5 ft10.3 ft below
Moderate flood19.5 ft11.3 ft below
Major flood20.7 ft12.5 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

StageDate
16.69 ft2010-07-31
16.57 ft1983-10-02
15.06 ft2006-07-31
14.6 ft1993-01-19
13.26 ft2009-07-04

Last 7 days

Past 7 days · 7.94–9.30 ft

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Santa Cruz River at Ina Rd near Tucson AZ1.2 miPima County
Canada Del Oro below Ina Road, near Tucson, Az.3.3 miPima County
Santa Cruz River near. Rillito, Az.5.0 miPima County
Canada Del Oro near Tucson, AZ5.3 miPima County
Rillito Creek at La Cholla Blvd near Tucson, Az.5.9 miPima County
Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast