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Drain on Wachter Ave at Bismarck water level

River gauge, Drain on Wachter Ave, North Dakota, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

26.18ft Steady over the last 24 hours

0 500 1,000 1,500

History

-05001,0001,500ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19-05001,0001,500ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
-05001,0001,500ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19-05001,0001,500ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
-05001,0001,500ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026-05001,0001,500ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Drain on Wachter Ave at Bismarck is running below normal at 26.18 ft.

The median for mid-October is 1,625.58 ft, based on 11 years of readings, so the river stage is 1,599.40 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 26.21 ft, a difference of −0.03 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 26.14 ft and 28.43 ft.

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

Compared with 11 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1,625.58 ft1,599.40 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
25.64 ft – 1,627.86 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (11 years of records)
Same day last year
26.21 ft−0.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
26.14 ft – 28.43 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
26.01 ft – 28.79 ft

Floating and fishing near Drain on Wachter Ave at Bismarck

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 66° 39° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 63° 33° – Wind 12 mph
20 Tue 72° 40° – Wind 11 mph
21 Wed 67° 46° – Wind 9 mph
22 Thu 75° 47° – Wind 12 mph
23 Fri 78° 60° 0.04 in, 32% Wind 18 mph
24 Sat 73° 41° – Wind 25 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:07 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 10 hr, 43 min First quarter 59%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Missouri River at BismarckRiver gauge, Missouri River 3.80 ft Normal +0.05 ft 2.9 mi
Missouri River below MandanRiver gauge, Missouri River 18.76 ft Very low +0.05 ft 3.7 mi
Missouri River near SchmidtRiver gauge, Missouri River 11.93 ft Low +0.09 ft 9 mi
Heart River near MandanRiver gauge, Heart River 8.87 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 10 mi
Heart River at Stark Bridge near JudsonRiver gauge, Heart River 1.83 ft Very low +0.01 ft 21 mi
Missouri River at PriceRiver gauge, Missouri River 16.96 ft Very low +0.01 ft 22 mi
Square Butte Creek below CenterRiver gauge, Square Butte Creek 1.06 ft Low ±0 27 mi
Cannonball River at BreienRiver gauge, Cannonball River 1.74 ft Very low ±0 29 mi

Questions and answers

Is Drain on Wachter Ave at Bismarck higher than last year?

No, it is 0.03 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 26.21 ft.

What is a normal level for Drain on Wachter Ave at Bismarck in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1,625.58 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 25.64 ft and 1,627.86 ft, based on 11 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 Drain on Wachter Ave at Bismarck today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 08:00 AM CDT, the water level was 26.18 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Drain on Wachter Ave at Bismarck rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Drain on Wachter Ave at Bismarck normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 11 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:464703100464600 (Agency page)
Coordinates
46.78417, -100.77944 (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 26.18 ft 2026-10-19 13:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Drain on Wachter Ave at Bismarck (usgs:464703100464600). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/drain-on-wachter-ave-at-bismarck

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.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer