South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO. Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO. in CO, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location CO, United States
- Watershed upper south platte
- Primary gauge 06700000 (USGS)
About South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO.
The South Platte River above Cheesman Lake sits in the Upper South Platte watershed in Colorado.
What the record shows
Over more than 24 years of record, this station has seen a high of 6.9 ft (2.1 m) in June 2024 and a low of 4.78 ft (1.46 m) in April 2026. Those are useful bookends for anyone watching the river for access, diversion, or bank change: the spread is not huge, but it is enough to matter when a crossing, intake, or fishing run is already close to the margins.
The seasonal pattern is clear. The typical high point comes in May at 5.44 ft (1.66 m), and the typical low point comes in April at 5.01 ft (1.53 m). The typical annual swing is 5.1 in (12.9 cm). In practice, that means this river usually stays within a fairly narrow band, but late spring is the time to expect the most water and the lowest spring reading arrives before the seasonal rise is complete.
The watershed
This gauge drains 1627 sq mi (4214 km2) upstream of the station. That is the area feeding the reading here, not the whole Upper South Platte. For people using the river near Cheesman Lake, the important point is that the station reflects what is happening across a large upstream catchment, so local rain or snowmelt can be joined by water arriving from far above.
The regional rhythm is snowmelt-dominated mountain hydrology: a pronounced May-June peak, long low-flow winters, and the possibility of sharp local rises in July-August from monsoon thunderstorms. That seasonal pattern fits what the record shows here, with the highest typical month in May and the lowest typical month in April.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page is best read against the median for this calendar day across the station’s record, not as a raw elevation by itself. Raw level matters, but the calendar-day median tells you whether today is running normal for this date, above it, or below it.
This station is published by the USGS, and the record covers more than 24 years. That gives enough history to make today’s reading useful in context for cottagers, anglers, and anyone watching how much water the river is carrying right now.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
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The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
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Why Central and South Texas rivers go from gravel beds to fifty-year records in an afternoon - including July 2026 on the Nueces.
One percent, every year, forever - unwrapping hydrology's most misunderstood phrase, and how it differs from our own percentiles.
How every number is computed - About the platform
