Grand River at Ionia water level

Name: Grand River at Ionia 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, Grand River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

8.33ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT (36 min ago)

Flow: 661 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Grand River at Ionia is at 8.33 ft, in the normal range.

It is 12.67 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 8.25 ft and 8.45 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 24.69 ftApril 20, 2013

Floating and fishing near Grand River at Ionia

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 21.00 ft, 12.67 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft: Expect major flooding of Ionia Fairgrounds and businesses and residences in low lying areas near the river. Railroad tracks and several additional businesses flooded in vicinity of Fairgrounds along Steele Street. Homes along Quarry Road flooded.
23.00 ft: Expect moderate flooding of several roads, businesses, and residences, in the Ionia area and of structures located in the Ionia Fairgrounds. Water halfway up windows on automobile building at Ionia Fairgrounds. Water begins to flood parking lot of Dollar General store, Save-a-Lot, and the Ionia Secretary of State office. Homes along Quarry Road begin to flood.
21.00 ft: Expect minor flooding of several buildings in the Ionia Fairgrounds, a shopping mall near the Fairgrounds, and several businesses and residences in the southern portion of Ionia.
18.00 ft: Water surrounds automobile building at Ionia Fairgrounds.
16.00 ft: Expect extensive lowland overflow to occur.
15.00 ft: High water affects North Drive on Ionia Fairgrounds.
13.50 ft: River is bankfull. Minor overflow begins in low lying areas along the river near and across from the Ionia Fairground.
8.33 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	24.69 ft	April 20, 2013
2	24.40 ft	February 23, 2018
3	24.30 ft	March 21, 1948
4	23.60 ft	April 7, 1947
5	23.43 ft	April 1, 1960
6	23.41 ft	May 25, 2004
7	23.20 ft	May 20, 2020
8	23.19 ft	March 6, 1976
9	23.18 ft	October 3, 1981
10	23.15 ft	February 27, 1985

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 64° 38° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 65° 42° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 69° 48° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 70° 48° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 71° 49° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 70° 54° – Wind 13 mph

26 Mon 60° 45° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:00 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on the Grand River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Grand River at JacksonRiver gauge, Grand River	9.20 ft	Below flood stage	±0	58 mi
Grand River at LansingRiver gauge, Grand River	2.47 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	30 mi
Grand River at PortlandRiver gauge, Grand River	5.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	11 mi
Grand River at AdaRiver gauge, Grand River	6.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	21 mi
Grand River at N Park St Ne at Grand RapidsRiver gauge, Grand River	3.46 ft	No reference yet	−0.09 ft	30 mi
Grand River at Grand RapidsRiver gauge, Grand River	1.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	31 mi
Grand River at State Highway M-11 at GrandvilleRiver gauge, Grand River	2,070 cfs	Low	−40.0 cfs	36 mi
Grand River near EastmanvilleRiver gauge, Grand River	1,890 cfs	Low	+60.0 cfs	49 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Flat River at SmyrnaRiver gauge, Flat River	3.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Looking Glass River near EagleRiver gauge, Looking Glass River	2.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	19 mi
Fish Creek near CrystalRiver gauge, Fish Creek	16.8 cfs	Very low	−0.7 cfs	20 mi
Maple River at Maple RapidsRiver gauge, Maple River	2.71 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	21 mi
Thornapple River near CaledoniaRiver gauge, Thornapple River	3.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	24 mi
Thornapple River near HastingsRiver gauge, Thornapple River	3.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	26 mi
Rogue River near RockfordRiver gauge, Rogue River	3.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	27 mi
Quaker Brook at State Highway M-66 near NashvilleRiver gauge, Quaker Brook	6.5 cfs	Normal	+0.1 cfs	28 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Grand River at Ionia?

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 12.67 ft below it.

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 Grand River at Ionia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT, the water level was 8.33 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Grand River at Ionia rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Grand River at Ionia normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Grand River at Ionia?

The highest level on record is 24.69 ft on April 20, 2013.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04116000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.97198, -85.06917 (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	8.33 ft	2026-10-20 09:45	Provisional
Flow	661 cfs	2026-10-20 09:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Grand River at Ionia (usgs:04116000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/grand-river-at-ionia

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