Poteau River near Panama water level

Name: Poteau River near Panama water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Poteau River, Oklahoma, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.75ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 74.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Poteau River near Panama, where the gauge shows 5.75 ft.

It is 23.25 ft below the flood stage of 29.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.67 ft – 5.82 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 49.60 ftJune 18, 1935

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 29.00 ft.

What happens at each level

47.00 ft: disasterous flooding occurs. Highway 271 may be impassible due to high water. Numerous county roads are totally impassable. A water treatment facility near Panama is surrounded by high water. This exceeds the flooding that occurred on May 3, 1990 when the river crested at 46.59 feet. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
45.00 ft: disasterous flooding occurs. Highway 271 is threatened by high water. Numerous county roads are totally impassable. A water treatment facility near Panama is surrounded by high water and water is over the burms of the retention ponds. This exceeds the flooding that occurred on May 12, 2015 when the river crested at 43.5 feet. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
43.00 ft: very severe agricultural flooding occurs. Numerous county roads are totally impassable. A water treatment facility near Panama is surrounded by high water and the retention ponds are flooded around 43.8 feet. This is similar to the flooding that occurred on May 12, 2015 when the river crested at 43.5 feet. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
41.00 ft: very severe flooding occurs from near Poteau to Arkoma. Up to 20,000 acres of farmland is flooded. Several county roads crossing the Poteau River are totally impassable. This is a dangerous and life threatening situation.
39.00 ft: severe depths of flooding of crop and pasturelands occur from Shady Point to Arkoma. Several roads crossing the Poteau River are totally impassable.
37.00 ft: extensive flooding of crop and pasturelands occur between Shady Point and Arkoma. Many roads in the floodplain become impassable.
35.00 ft: moderate flooding of agricultural lands occur from Panama to Arkoma. Some local and county roads in the floodplain become impassable.
33.00 ft: moderate flooding of agricultural lands occurs between Shady Point and Arkoma. Williams Road east of Panama and some local farm roads are flooded.
31.00 ft: minor agricultural flooding occurs. Williams Road east of Panama is flooded.
29.00 ft: minor agricultural flooding occurs.
5.75 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: 57 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	49.60 ft	June 18, 1935
2	47.35 ft	December 29, 2015
3	46.59 ft	May 3, 1990
4	46.40 ft	May 14, 1968
5	45.10 ft	April 17, 1939
6	44.16 ft	December 11, 1971
7	43.54 ft	May 12, 2015
8	43.03 ft	May 27, 2015
9	42.84 ft	March 20, 2008
10	42.42 ft	March 20, 2002

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min First quarter 57%

Map

Other gauges on the Poteau River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Poteau River at CauthronRiver gauge, Poteau River	4.0 cfs	Normal	+1.1 cfs	26 mi
Poteau River at LovingRiver gauge, Poteau River	1.0 cfs	Low	−0.4 cfs	22 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
James Fork near HackettRiver gauge, James Fork	1.8 cfs	Low	−0.3 cfs	14 mi
Arkansas River at Ft. Smith, Ar.River gauge, Arkansas River	7,180 cfs	Normal	+520 cfs	20 mi
AR River at James W. Trimble L&D near Van BurenRiver gauge, AR River	371.34 ft	Below flood stage	−20.38 ft	24 mi
AR River at Van BurenRiver gauge, AR River	19.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	25 mi
Lee Creek at Lee Creek Reservoir near Van BurenReservoir, Lee Creek	11.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.30 ft	26 mi
Lee Creek near ShortRiver gauge, Lee Creek	0.0 cfs	Very low	±0	27 mi
Black Fork below Big Creek near PageRiver gauge, Black Fork	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	28 mi
Little Lee Creek near NicutRiver gauge, Little Lee Creek	0.3 cfs	Low	±0	29 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Poteau River near Panama?

The official flood stage is 29.00 ft. The level is currently 23.25 ft below it.

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 Poteau River near Panama today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 AM CDT, the water level was 5.75 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Poteau River near Panama rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Poteau River near Panama normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Poteau River near Panama?

The highest level on record is 49.60 ft on June 18, 1935.

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:07249413 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.16565, -94.65300 (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

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	5.75 ft	2026-10-19 06:30	Provisional
Flow	74.8 cfs	2026-10-19 06:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Poteau River near Panama (usgs:07249413). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oklahoma/poteau-river-near-panama

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