Chariton River near Prairie Hill water level

Name: Chariton River near Prairie Hill 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, Chariton River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.28ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:45 AM CDT (58 min ago)

Flow: 972 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Chariton River near Prairie Hill is at 3.28 ft, in the normal range.

It is 11.72 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.21 ft and 3.52 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: 24.26 ftMay 31, 2019

Floating and fishing near Chariton River near Prairie Hill

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 11.72 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

27.70 ft: The State Highway 129 bridge is overtopped by flood waters 8 miles North of Salisbury.
24.80 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the State Highway 129 bridge 8 miles north of Salisbury.
20.00 ft: State Highway 129 is overtopped by flood waters 8 miles north of Salisbury.
19.00 ft: Farmland and secondary roads in the Chariton River floodplain are under water.
15.00 ft: Fields along the river begin to flood.
3.28 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: 40 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.26 ft	May 31, 2019
2	23.39 ft	April 18, 2013
3	23.27 ft	July 27, 2008
4	23.23 ft	July 23, 2010
5	23.21 ft	July 11, 2021
6	23.07 ft	September 11, 2014
7	23.01 ft	May 13, 2002
8	22.94 ft	September 15, 2008
9	22.84 ft	June 26, 2008
10	22.82 ft	May 16, 2009

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 72° 42° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 76° 51° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 73° 55° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 78° 55° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 79° 57° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 75° 61° 0.05 in Wind 7 mph

26 Mon 65° 54° 0.52 in Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on the Chariton River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chariton River near CharitonRiver gauge, Chariton River	4.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	101 mi
Chariton River near RathbunRiver gauge, Chariton River	398 cfs	Normal	−422.0 cfs	89 mi
Chariton River near MoultonRiver gauge, Chariton River	21.53 ft	Below flood stage	−1.38 ft	80 mi
Chariton River at NovingerRiver gauge, Chariton River	2.65 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	48 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mussel Fork near MusselforkRiver gauge, Mussel Fork	20.2 cfs	Normal	−3.1 cfs	9 mi
East Fork Little Chariton River near MaconRiver gauge, East Fork Little Chariton River	38.3 cfs	Normal	−1.9 cfs	21 mi
Missouri River at GlasgowRiver gauge, Missouri River	14.75 ft	Below flood stage	+0.11 ft	22 mi
Grand River near SumnerRiver gauge, Grand River	8.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	27 mi
Long Branch Creek near AtlantaRiver gauge, Long Branch Creek	2.3 cfs	High	−0.3 cfs	29 mi
Grand River near Fountain GroveRiver gauge, Grand River	1,060 cfs	Normal	−60.0 cfs	30 mi
Moniteau Creek near FayetteRiver gauge, Moniteau Creek	4.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	31 mi
Elk Fork Salt River near MadisonRiver gauge, Elk Fork Salt River	2.4 cfs	Low	−1.1 cfs	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Chariton River near Prairie Hill?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 11.72 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 Chariton River near Prairie Hill today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:45 AM CDT, the water level was 3.28 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Chariton River near Prairie Hill rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Chariton River near Prairie Hill normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Chariton River near Prairie Hill?

The highest level on record is 24.26 ft on May 31, 2019.

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:06905500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.53994, -92.79075 (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	3.28 ft	2026-10-20 09:45	Provisional
Flow	972 cfs	2026-10-20 09:45	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/9875?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Chariton River near Prairie Hill water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Chariton River near Prairie Hill (usgs:06905500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/chariton-river-near-prairie-hill

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