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Cannonball River at Breien water level

River gauge, Cannonball River, North Dakota, United States

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.75ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
10.1 cfs
0 10 20 Highest onrecord 22.30 ft Minor floodstage 10.00 ft

History

History
24ftOct 15Oct 15Oct 16Oct 17Oct 1824ftOct 15Oct 16Oct 18
24ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 1824ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The Cannonball River at Breien is running far below normal at 1.75 ft.

The median for mid-October is 2.36 ft, based on 23 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.61 ft below typical. It is 8.25 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.55 ft, a difference of −0.80 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 1.70 ft and 1.79 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 23 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.36 ft0.61 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.86 ft – 3.93 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (23 years of records)
Same day last year
2.55 ft−0.80 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.70 ft – 1.79 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.57 ft – 7.95 ft
Highest on record
22.30 ftApril 19, 1950

Floating and fishing near Cannonball River at Breien

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 10.00 ft, 8.25 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

23.00 ft
Highway 6 will flood.
22.00 ft
All of Breien will flood.
21.00 ft
Water likely on surface of Highway 24 near Solen.
20.00 ft
Much of Breien will flood.
13.00 ft
Southeast part of Breien subject to flooding.
12.00 ft
Water overflows south bank.
9.00 ft
Water overflows north bank.
1.75 ft
Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 5 %.

RankLevelDate
122.30 ftApril 19, 1950
221.84 ftMarch 24, 2009
320.82 ftMarch 25, 1997
419.57 ftMarch 15, 1982
519.36 ftMarch 22, 1987
618.52 ftMarch 28, 2019
717.40 ftMarch 27, 1943
817.02 ftJune 9, 2021
916.38 ftMarch 31, 1978
1015.39 ftMarch 18, 2011

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 65° 41° – Wind 15 mph
19 Mon 63° 36° – Wind 14 mph
20 Tue 73° 45° – Wind 14 mph
21 Wed 68° 50° – Wind 11 mph
22 Thu 77° 48° 0.00 in Wind 16 mph
23 Fri 68° 61° 0.26 in, 31% Wind 15 mph
24 Sat 58° 40° 0.68 in, 39% Wind 25 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:06 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on the Cannonball River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cannonball River at RegentRiver gauge, Cannonball River 4.74 ft Normal +0.06 ft 77 mi
Cannonball River near RaleighRiver gauge, Cannonball River 1.78 ft Very low +0.01 ft 26 mi
Cannonball River at SolenRiver gauge, Cannonball River 33.96 ft No reference yet +0.03 ft 6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Porcupine Creek near Fort YatesRiver gauge, Porcupine Creek 1.74 ft Very low +0.01 ft 15 mi
Missouri River near SchmidtRiver gauge, Missouri River 11.90 ft Low +0.13 ft 21 mi
Heart River at Stark Bridge near JudsonRiver gauge, Heart River 1.76 ft Very low −0.05 ft 26 mi
Missouri River below MandanRiver gauge, Missouri River 18.73 ft Very low +0.18 ft 26 mi
Cedar Creek near RaleighRiver gauge, Cedar Creek −0.11 ft Very low −0.01 ft 27 mi
Drain on Wachter Ave at BismarckRiver gauge, Drain on Wachter Ave 26.19 ft Low ±0 29 mi
Missouri River at BismarckRiver gauge, Missouri River 3.78 ft Normal +0.16 ft 31 mi
Heart River near MandanRiver gauge, Heart River 8.87 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 32 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Cannonball River at Breien higher than last year?

No, it is 0.80 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.55 ft.

What is flood stage for the Cannonball River at Breien?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 8.25 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Cannonball River at Breien in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.36 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.86 ft and 3.93 ft, based on 23 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Cannonball River at Breien today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:15 PM CDT, the water level was 1.75 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cannonball River at Breien rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cannonball River at Breien normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 23 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:06354000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
46.37611, -100.93444 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NAVD88
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 1.75 ft 2026-10-18 22:15 Provisional
Flow 10.1 cfs 2026-10-18 22:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cannonball River at Breien (usgs:06354000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/cannonball-river-at-breien

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.