Tarkio River at Fairfax water level

Name: Tarkio River at Fairfax 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, Tarkio River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

6.63ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:15 AM CDT (54 min ago)

Flow: 202 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Tarkio River at Fairfax is at 6.63 ft, in the normal range.

It is 10.37 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 6.62 ft and 6.81 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: 28.90 ftMay 7, 2007

Floating and fishing near Tarkio River at Fairfax

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

Flood stage here is 17.00 ft, 10.37 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

25.60 ft: Flood waters will reach the intersection of State Highway J and U.S. Highway 59 on the west side of Fairfax.
25.00 ft: Levees in the vicinity of Fairfax are overtopped. Flooding of farmland along with homesteads and roads occurs.
19.00 ft: Flooding begins in the vicinity of Corning.
18.00 ft: U.S. Highway 59 north of Fairfax begins to flood.
17.00 ft: Low-lying farm fields begin to flood.
6.63 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: 48 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	28.90 ft	May 7, 2007
2	27.20 ft	May 29, 2019
3	26.35 ft	June 6, 2008
4	26.31 ft	May 24, 2019
5	25.60 ft	July 23, 1993
6	25.48 ft	May 27, 1987
7	25.19 ft	June 12, 2015
8	25.00 ft	June 15, 1998
9	24.85 ft	May 19, 2026
10	24.85 ft	May 30, 2004

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.09 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 65° 39° – Wind 17 mph

19 Mon 69° 43° – Wind 13 mph

20 Tue 71° 49° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 74° 54° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 77° 57° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 77° 61° – Wind 18 mph

24 Sat 69° 55° 0.15 in Wind 18 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:39 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 49%

Map

Other gauges on the Tarkio River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tarkio River near ElliottRiver gauge, Tarkio River	2.55 ft	Below flood stage	±0	55 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River at BrownvilleRiver gauge, Missouri River	25.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.21 ft	14 mi
Nodaway River near Burlington JunctionRiver gauge, Nodaway River	5.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.30 ft	18 mi
Missouri River at RuloRiver gauge, Missouri River	8.70 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	20 mi
Nodaway River near GrahamRiver gauge, Nodaway River	1,250 cfs	High	+40.0 cfs	20 mi
Little Nemaha River at AuburnRiver gauge, Little Nemaha River	3.46 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	22 mi
Nishnabotna River above HamburgRiver gauge, Nishnabotna River	13.50 ft	Below flood stage	+0.29 ft	22 mi
Big Nemaha River at Falls CityRiver gauge, Big Nemaha River	4.64 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	23 mi
One Hundred and Two River at MaryvilleRiver gauge, One Hundred and Two River	6.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	30 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Tarkio River at Fairfax?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 10.37 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 Tarkio River at Fairfax today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:15 AM CDT, the water level was 6.63 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Tarkio River at Fairfax rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Tarkio River at Fairfax normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Tarkio River at Fairfax?

The highest level on record is 28.90 ft on May 7, 2007.

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:06813000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.33942, -95.40683 (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	6.63 ft	2026-10-18 11:15	Provisional
Flow	202 cfs	2026-10-18 11:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tarkio River at Fairfax (usgs:06813000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/tarkio-river-at-fairfax

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