Calcasieu River near Kinder water level

Name: Calcasieu River near Kinder 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, Calcasieu River, Louisiana, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.49ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT (35 min ago)

Flow: 244 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 08:36 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Calcasieu River near Kinder is running far below normal at 1.49 ft.

The median for mid-October is 2.41 ft, based on 51 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.92 ft below typical. It is 14.51 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.88 ft, a difference of −0.39 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 1.46 ft and 1.71 ft.

Compared with 51 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.41 ft0.92 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.59 ft – 11.01 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (51 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.88 ft−0.39 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.46 ft – 1.71 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.50 ft – 17.90 ft
Highest on record: 32.00 ftMay 19, 1953
Forecast peak: 1.50 ftTuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Calcasieu River near Kinder

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 16.00 ft, 14.51 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

32.90 ft: At this level water will be flowing over the Highway 190 bridge.
32.00 ft: The river at its flood of record. Widespread catastrpohic flood damage will occur. Many communities along and at some distance from the river become flooded. These communities include Kinder, Indian Village, Buller and Hecker. Portions of U.S. Highway 165 may also flood.
29.00 ft: Flood waters reach the top of the rail on the railroad bridge downstream from the Hwy 190 bridge. Flooding of the bridge approaches on Hwy 190.
28.80 ft: The water will be at the low chord of the Highway 190 bridge.
27.80 ft: FEMA flood insurance maps indicate that at 27.8 feet, if you are located in the 1% (100 year) flood plain your property is at a high risk for flooding. A 1 percent flood is a flood that has a one percent or greater chance of occurring in any given year.
24.00 ft: Three feet of water is over the Calcasieu River Bridge on Old Pump Road. Some homes along Old Pump Road are flooded. Homes near Phillips Bluff, Lormand Bluff, and Indian Village begin to flood.
23.00 ft: Water is over numerous roads along the river. Several structures are subject to flooding in the Nevils Bluff community. Some of the roads that are or may be flooded include but are not limited to, Hecker Road from the Jefferson Davis Parish line to Hecker in several places. Amos Bluff, Old Ferry, Old Pump, Kinder Cemetary, Green Oaks, Fosset and Lyles roads.
21.50 ft: Two feet of water over Old Pump Road and Kinder Cemetery Road. The Old Pump Road Bridge over the Calcasieu River begins to flood.
19.50 ft: Lowland sections of Old Pump Road, Kinder Cemetery Road, and Nevils Bluff Road begin to flood.
18.00 ft: If gage reading at Kinder reaches 18 feet, flooding begins to cut off some of the roads around Topsy in Northwest Jefferson Davis Parish.
16.00 ft: Flooding of wooded areas near the river will occur.
1.49 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: 7 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	32.00 ft	May 19, 1953
2	26.28 ft	July 2, 1989
3	26.22 ft	December 29, 1982
4	24.70 ft	August 11, 1940
5	24.29 ft	November 7, 2002
6	23.65 ft	October 13, 2020
7	23.46 ft	December 23, 1923
8	23.22 ft	December 1, 2001
9	22.90 ft	April 13, 1995
10	22.14 ft	November 1, 1985

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 80° 48° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 82° 54° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 83° 53° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 87° 56° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 87° 58° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 85° 58° – Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 83° 56° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:36 PM Daylight 11 hr, 18 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Calcasieu River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Calcasieu River near GlenmoraRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	4.53 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	37 mi
Calcasieu River near OakdaleRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	7.99 ft	Very low	±0	26 mi
Calcasieu River near OberlinRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	1.02 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Calcasieu River at Hwy 171 at Moss BluffRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	26.13 ft	No reference yet	+0.20 ft	22 mi
Calcasieu River at I-10 at Lake CharlesRiver gauge, Calcasieu River	2.10 ft	Normal	+0.56 ft	27 mi
Calcasieu River at CameronEstuary gauge, Calcasieu River	6.23 ft	Very high	+0.40 ft	54 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ouiska Chitto Creek Near OberlinRiver gauge	2.72 ft	Normal	±0	14 mi
Bayou Nezpique near BasileRiver gauge, Bayou Nezpique	1.68 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	17 mi
Bundick Lake at Spillway near DeRidderLake, Bundick Lake	95.03 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	19 mi
Bayou Des Cannes west of IotaRiver gauge	11.17 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	25 mi
Bayou Des Cannes near EuniceRiver gauge, Bayou Des Cannes	0.06 ft	Very low	±0	25 mi
Bayou Mallet at Hwy 91 north of IotaRiver gauge, Bayou Mallet	1.75 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Ouiska Chitto Creek at Hwy 399 NW of SugartownRiver gauge, Ouiska Chitto Creek	1.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Calcasieu River near Kinder higher than last year?

No, it is 0.39 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.88 ft.

What is flood stage for the Calcasieu River near Kinder?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 14.51 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Calcasieu River near Kinder in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.41 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.59 ft and 11.01 ft, based on 51 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 Calcasieu River near Kinder today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT, the water level was 1.49 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Calcasieu River near Kinder rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Calcasieu River near Kinder normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 51 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:08015500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.50256, -92.91542 (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	1.49 ft	2026-10-20 23:15	Provisional
Flow	244 cfs	2026-10-20 23:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Calcasieu River near Kinder (usgs:08015500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/louisiana/calcasieu-river-near-kinder

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