Independence River at Donnattsburg water level

Name: Independence River at Donnattsburg 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, Independence River, New York, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

4.30ft Down 0.46 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 05:30 PM EDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 256 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at Independence River at Donnattsburg reads 4.30 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The level is falling, down 0.46 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.17 ft and 4.78 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 13.43 ftDecember 30, 1984

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.43 ft	December 30, 1984

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:20 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 53%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Beaver River at CroghanRiver gauge, Beaver River	430 cfs	Normal	−134.0 cfs	11 mi
Moose River at McKeeverRiver gauge, Moose River	4.20 ft	Normal	−0.66 ft	15 mi
Black River near BoonvilleRiver gauge, Black River	5.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	16 mi
Stillwater Reservoir near Beaver RiverReservoir, Stillwater Reservoir	1,667.67 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	18 mi
North Branch Salmon River at RedfieldRiver gauge, North Branch Salmon River	238 cfs	Normal	−191.0 cfs	28 mi
West Branch Oswegatchie River near HarrisvilleRiver gauge, West Branch Oswegatchie River	718 cfs	High	−29.0 cfs	30 mi
Buck Creek near InletRiver gauge, Buck Creek	2.5 cfs	Normal	−1.6 cfs	31 mi
Buck Creek, North Tributary, near InletRiver gauge, Buck Creek, North Tributary,	0.6 cfs	High	−0.2 cfs	31 mi

Questions and answers

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 Independence River at Donnattsburg today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:30 PM EDT, the water level was 4.30 ft. Down 0.46 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Independence River at Donnattsburg rising or falling?

Down 0.46 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Independence River at Donnattsburg normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Independence River at Donnattsburg?

The highest level on record is 13.43 ft on December 30, 1984.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04256000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.74681, -75.33344 (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	4.30 ft	2026-10-18 21:30	Provisional
Flow	256 cfs	2026-10-18 21:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Independence River at Donnattsburg (usgs:04256000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-york/independence-river-at-donnattsburg

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