Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie water level

Name: Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie 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, Bayou Manchac, Louisiana, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

2.81ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie, where the gauge shows 2.81 ft.

That puts it 0.37 ft above the median of 2.44 ft for late October, based on 27 years of readings. It is 7.19 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.96 ft (−0.15 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.13 ft – 3.92 ft.

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

Compared with 27 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.44 ft0.37 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.70 ft – 3.20 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (27 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.96 ft−0.15 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.13 ft – 3.92 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.19 ft – 9.71 ft
Highest on record: 21.49 ftAugust 15, 2016

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

18.50 ft: Widespread flooding will occur with hundreds of homes impacted. Evacuations will be necessary. Water will inundate most neighborhood streets and portions of LA Highway 42 will be impassable. Water will also rise on Muddy Creek and Roddy Bayou, along with other local waterways.
18.30 ft: Flood of Record measured 18.33 feet and occurred on August 14, 2016.
17.00 ft: Major flooding will occur for many homes and roads near Bayou Manch. Water will spread over neighborhoods around Muddy Creek, with some sections of LA Highway 42 impacted.
15.00 ft: Muddy Creek Road will become impassible with water over the bridge at Muddy Creek. There will be major flooding of homes along both Oak Harbor and Muddy Creek Roads.
14.00 ft: Oak Harbor Road will become impassible. There will be major flooding of homes along Oak Harbor Road. Muddy Creek Road will flood.
12.00 ft: Water will cover Oak Harbor Road. Moderate flooding of some homes along Oak Harbor Road can be expected. Muddy Creek will back up and flood property along Muddy Creek Road.
10.00 ft: Flooding will begin on property along Oak Harbor Road. Some homes will sustain minor flood damage.
2.81 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.49 ft	August 15, 2016
2	16.92 ft	June 10, 2001
3	16.83 ft	January 28, 1990
4	16.38 ft	January 23, 1993
5	14.78 ft	March 14, 2016
6	14.78 ft	March 14, 2016
7	14.71 ft	April 14, 1995
8	14.42 ft	January 31, 1994
9	13.38 ft	February 25, 2003
10	13.36 ft	September 6, 2008

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 81° 58° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 83° 53° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 85° 56° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 84° 57° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 81° 58° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 79° 53° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 81° 55° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 11 hr, 17 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on Bayou Manchac

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bayou Manchac at Alligator B. near KleinpeterRiver gauge, Bayou Manchac	1.90 ft	Normal	−0.39 ft	6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Muddy Creek at Hwy 42 near Oak GroveRiver gauge, Muddy Creek	2.82 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	2.6 mi
Henderson Bayou near Port VincentRiver gauge, Henderson Bayou	1.98 ft	High	−0.08 ft	3.6 mi
Henderson Bayou Pump Station near Port VincentRiver gauge, Henderson Bayou Pump Station	1.41 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	3.8 mi
Amite River at Port VincentRiver gauge, Amite River	2.75 ft	Very high	−0.09 ft	3.9 mi
Black Bayou at Hwy 621 near PrairievilleRiver gauge, Black Bayou	2.10 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	4.9 mi
Grand Goudine at Babin Rd Near DuplessisRiver gauge, Grand Goudine	1.91 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	6.1 mi
Bluff Swamp near KleinpeterRiver gauge, Bluff Swamp	2.15 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	6.1 mi
Alligator Bayou near KleinpeterRiver gauge, Alligator Bayou	2.12 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	6 mi

Questions and answers

How does Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie compare with last year?

It is 0.15 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.96 ft.

What is flood stage for Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.19 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie in late October?

The median for late October is 2.44 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.70 ft and 3.20 ft, based on 27 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 Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM CDT, the water level was 2.81 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.44 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 27 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:07380101 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.34047, -90.91732 (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	2.81 ft	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie (usgs:07380101). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/louisiana/bayou-manchac-near-little-prairie

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