Ohio River at Markland Dam near Warsaw water level
River gauge, Ohio River, Kentucky, United States
Right now
Normal for late October
Water level
- Flow
- 56,800 cfs
- Water temperature
- 66 °F
History
20252026
The forecast expects the river to rise to 16.60 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:41 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
The gauge at Ohio River at Markland Dam near Warsaw reads 16.31 ft, a normal level for late October.
The median for late October is 13.80 ft, based on 17 years of readings, so the river stage is 2.51 ft above typical. It is 34.69 ft below the flood stage of 51.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 13.69 ft, a difference of +2.62 ft.
The level is falling, down 2.18 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 16.60 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM.
The water temperature at the gauge is 66 °F.
Compared with 17 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 13.80 ft2.51 ft above the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 12.66 ft – 22.41 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (17 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 13.69 ft+2.62 ft
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 13.77 ft – 31.45 ft
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 13.28 ft – 39.71 ft
- Highest on record
- 76.10 ftJanuary 26, 1937
- Forecast peak
- 16.60 ftWednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM
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.
The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 51.00 ft, still 34.69 ft away.
What happens at each level
- 76.09 ft
- This is the flood of record of January 1937. The entire flood plain is inundated at this level. Numerous homes, businesses and roads are flooded. Evacuations are required in the low areas of Switzerland County in Indiana, as well as Carroll and Gallatin Counties in Kentucky.
- 74.00 ft
- Much of the flood plain is inundated, including major flooding near the river in Carrollton and Warsaw, Kentucky, and Patriot and Vevay, Indiana. Numerous structures between Indiana Route 156 and the river are inundated, as well as structures between Route 42 and the river on the Kentucky side. Substantial backwater flooding occurs along creeks and streams emptying into the river, including the Kentucky River itself. Backwater rises as far upstream as Gratz result in flooding along the Kentucky River.
- 65.00 ft
- A flood of this level is roughly equivalent to the FEMA 1 percent flood. Much of Main Street in Carrolton is flooded, with stretches of Route 42 in Kentucky and Route 56 in Indiana under several feet of water due to backwater flooding into creeks. Front and Short Streets in Rising Sun are inundated. The entire area of Route 42 and Highway 1039 near Markland is flooded. Portions of Davis Street in Ghent is flooded, as is Locust Street in Warsaw.
- 64.00 ft
- Widespread flooding occurs in southeast Indiana and northern Kentucky near the river. Parts of Warsaw, Kentucky and Route 42 become flooded, with flooding of Rabbit Hash and Rising Sun. Indiana Route 156 is flooded along long stretches.
- 62.00 ft
- Significant backwater flooding can be expected resulting in flooding of parts of Carroll and Gallatin Counties in Kentucky and Switzerland County in Indiana. Parts of Markland, Kentucky and Florence, Indiana become flooded.
- 59.00 ft
- Backwater flooding can be expected along creeks near the Ohio River and will also affect the Kentucky River. Lowland flooding becomes widespread near Carrollton, Ghent and Ethridge in Kentucky.
- 57.00 ft
- Lowland and backwater flooding results in dozens of road closures near the Ohio, Kentucky River and creeks and streams emptying into the Ohio River experiencing backwater flooding. Counties affected include Gallatin and Carroll Counties in Kentucky and Switzerland County Indiana. Several roads along the river become flooded in areas. If the Kentucky River is also above the 32 foot flood stage at Lockport, backwater flooding closes dozens of roads in Carroll County alone.
- 55.00 ft
- Water affects some trailers parked at the mouth of Craigs Creek, one and a half miles upstream of the dam near Ethridge, Kentucky. Water also begins to cover parts of Route 156 in Indiana. Lowland flooding worsens along the river in Switzerland County, Indiana and Gallatin and Carroll Counties in Kentucky. Backwater flooding also occurs along the Kentucky River near Carrollton.
- 52.00 ft
- Lowland roads near the river are flooded including low-lying roads near Carrollton, Vevay, Warsaw and Florence. Portions of Indiana Route 56 are flooded downstream of Vevay.
- 51.00 ft
- Mainly lowland areas near the river are impacted with some roads along both the Indiana and Kentucky side of the river experiencing minor flooding.
- 50.00 ft
- Flooding occurs in the River Drive area upstream of Patriot with water approaching some homes. Flooding of Ogle Park in Vevay occurs, as well as flooding in the low areas of Carrollton along the Kentucky River due to backwater. Elsewhere, flooding of some streets and parks between Route 42 and the river occurs in Kentucky.
- 49.00 ft
- Backwater flooding results in water covering a few roads including Notch Lick Road near Carrollton.
- 16.31 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: < 5 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 76.10 ft | January 26, 1937 |
| 2 | 66.70 ft | April 1, 1913 |
| 3 | 65.20 ft | March 8, 1945 |
| 4 | 64.50 ft | March 12, 1964 |
| 5 | 60.72 ft | March 6, 1997 |
| 6 | 60.20 ft | April 18, 1948 |
| 7 | 58.60 ft | March 23, 1933 |
| 8 | 57.76 ft | April 8, 2025 |
| 9 | 57.04 ft | February 26, 2018 |
| 10 | 56.40 ft | March 10, 1955 |
Weather at the gauge
No rain in the last 3 days.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the Ohio River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio River at AshlandRiver gauge, Ohio River | 34.58 ft | Below flood stage | −0.25 ft | 127 mi |
| Ohio River at IrontonRiver gauge, Ohio River | 34.50 ft | High | −0.20 ft | 125 mi |
| Ohio River at Greenup Dam near GreenupRiver gauge, Ohio River | 13.00 ft | Below flood stage | −0.13 ft | 114 mi |
| Ohio River at PortsmouthRiver gauge, Ohio River | 16.54 ft | Normal | −1.29 ft | 106 mi |
| Ohio River at MaysvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River | 33.90 ft | Normal | −0.12 ft | 64 mi |
| Ohio River at CincinnatiRiver gauge, Ohio River | 27.10 ft | Normal | −0.57 ft | 33 mi |
| Ohio River at MadisonRiver gauge, Ohio River | 14.08 ft | No reference yet | −1.02 ft | 22 mi |
| Ohio River at Water Tower at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River | 58,900 cfs | Normal | −29,000.0 cfs | 52 mi |
| Ohio River at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River | 15.55 ft | Normal | −1.83 ft | 56 mi |
| Ohio River below Riverview Park near LouisvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River | 14.01 ft | No reference yet | −1.23 ft | 67 mi |
| Ohio River at Cannelton Dam at CanneltonRiver gauge, Ohio River | 13.98 ft | Normal | −0.21 ft | 112 mi |
| Ohio River at Riverport at OwensboroRiver gauge, Ohio River | 19.87 ft | No reference yet | +0.02 ft | 136 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Creek at GlencoeRiver gauge, Eagle Creek | 1.27 ft | Below flood stage | +0.02 ft | 9 mi |
| Kentucky River at Lock 1 near CarrolltonRiver gauge, Kentucky River | 9.54 ft | Normal | −0.19 ft | 12 mi |
| Mud Lick Creek at Highway 42 near BeaverlickRiver gauge, Mud Lick Creek | 1.25 ft | Normal | −0.01 ft | 14 mi |
| Indian-Kentuck Creek near CanaanRiver gauge, Indian-Kentuck Creek | 0.1 cfs | Low | ±0 | 17 mi |
| Woolper Creek at Woolper Road near BurlingtonRiver gauge, Woolper Creek | 0.5 cfs | Low | −0.2 cfs | 20 mi |
| Gunpowder Creek at Camp Ernst Road near UnionRiver gauge, Gunpowder Creek | 6.0 cfs | Normal | +3.3 cfs | 20 mi |
| Tanners Creek at LawrenceburgRiver gauge, Tanners Creek | 31.98 ft | Normal | −0.23 ft | 23 mi |
| Kentucky River at Lock 2 at LockportRiver gauge, Kentucky River | 9.20 ft | Below flood stage | −0.25 ft | 23 mi |
Questions and answers
Is the Ohio River at Markland Dam near Warsaw higher than last year?
Yes, it is 2.62 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 13.69 ft.
What is flood stage for the Ohio River at Markland Dam near Warsaw?
The official flood stage is 51.00 ft. The level is currently 34.69 ft below it.
What is a normal level for the Ohio River at Markland Dam near Warsaw in late October?
The median for late October is 13.80 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 12.66 ft and 22.41 ft, based on 17 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 Ohio River at Markland Dam near Warsaw today?
On Oct 21, 2026, 02:45 AM EDT, the water level was 16.31 ft. Down 2.18 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Ohio River at Markland Dam near Warsaw rising or falling?
Down 2.18 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 5.27 ft over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Ohio River at Markland Dam near Warsaw normal?
Normal for late October. Compared with 17 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:03277200(Agency page)- Coordinates
38.77525, -84.97239(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 | 16.31 ft | 2026-10-21 06:45 | Provisional |
| Flow | 56,800 cfs | 2026-10-21 06:00 | Provisional |
| Water temperature | 66 °F | 2026-10-21 07:05 | Provisional |
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Ohio River at Markland Dam near Warsaw (usgs:03277200). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/ohio-river-at-markland-dam-near-warsaw
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