Blackwater River near Baker water level

Name: Blackwater River near Baker 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, Blackwater River, Florida, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.76ft Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 177 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

Low water at Blackwater River near Baker: the gauge reads 1.76 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.49 ft, based on 68 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.73 ft below typical. It is 9.24 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.03 ft, a difference of +0.73 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.02 ft – 8.30 ft.

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

Compared with 68 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.49 ft0.73 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.28 ft – 3.60 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (68 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.03 ft+0.73 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.02 ft – 8.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.69 ft – 15.24 ft
Highest on record: 25.68 ftSeptember 29, 1998

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 11.00 ft.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Highway 4 bridge is closed.
23.00 ft: Water reaches eaves of buildings in Cotton Bridge Park.
16.00 ft: Some residential flooding occurs downstream from the Highway 4 bridge.
14.50 ft: Flooding of Cotton Bridge Park in Baker begins.
11.00 ft: Minor flooding of secondary roads and lowlands from the Highway 4 Bridge downstream.
9.50 ft: Kennedy and Peaden Bridges are flooded upstream of Highway 4 bridge.
1.76 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: 19 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.68 ft	September 29, 1998
2	25.61 ft	June 4, 1990
3	25.00 ft	October 6, 1995
4	24.99 ft	March 17, 1990
5	24.55 ft	September 17, 2020
6	23.05 ft	March 9, 1998
7	22.97 ft	September 17, 1988
8	22.97 ft	July 31, 1975
9	21.66 ft	March 29, 2009
10	20.80 ft	December 4, 1953

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.14 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 74° 49° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 73° 48° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 77° 49° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 80° 53° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 80° 54° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 76° 51° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 76° 58° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:53 AM Sunset 06:12 PM Daylight 11 hr, 20 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Blackwater River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Blackwater River near BradleyRiver gauge, Blackwater River	0.94 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	13 mi
Blackwater River near HaroldRiver gauge, Blackwater River	3.30 ft	No reference yet	−0.19 ft	12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yellow River at MilliganRiver gauge, Yellow River	2.03 ft	Normal	−0.26 ft	8 mi
Yellow River near Oak GroveRiver gauge, Yellow River	81.05 ft	Normal	−0.19 ft	12 mi
Shoal River near CrestviewRiver gauge, Shoal River	5.90 ft	Very high	−0.19 ft	14 mi
Big Coldwater Creek near MiltonRiver gauge, Big Coldwater Creek	2.73 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	17 mi
Yellow River near MiltonRiver gauge, Yellow River	39.25 ft	Very high	−0.43 ft	21 mi
Conecuh River at State Highway 41 near BrewtonRiver gauge, Conecuh River	9.92 ft	Normal	−2.32 ft	25 mi
Shoal River near Mossy HeadRiver gauge, Shoal River	7.96 ft	Very high	−0.20 ft	26 mi
Murder Creek at State Highway 41 at BrewtonRiver gauge, Murder Creek	9.99 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Blackwater River near Baker higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.73 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.03 ft.

What is flood stage for the Blackwater River near Baker?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 9.24 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Blackwater River near Baker in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.49 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.28 ft and 3.60 ft, based on 68 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 Blackwater River near Baker today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT, the water level was 1.76 ft. Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Blackwater River near Baker rising or falling?

Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 3.19 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Blackwater River near Baker normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 68 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02370000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.83352, -86.73468 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	1.76 ft	2026-10-19 18:00	Provisional
Flow	177 cfs	2026-10-19 18:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Blackwater River near Baker (usgs:02370000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/florida/blackwater-river-near-baker

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