Wild Rice River near St Benedict water level

Name: Wild Rice River near St Benedict 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, Wild Rice River, North Dakota, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

23.30ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 0.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The Wild Rice River near St Benedict is running far below normal at 23.30 ft.

The median for mid-October is 24.45 ft, based on 8 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.15 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 25.06 ft, a difference of −1.76 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 23.27 ft and 23.41 ft.

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

Compared with 8 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 24.45 ft1.15 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 23.89 ft – 34.30 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (8 years of records)
Same day last year: 25.06 ft−1.76 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 23.27 ft – 23.41 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 23.25 ft – 29.77 ft

Floating and fishing near Wild Rice River near St Benedict

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 68° 31° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 71° 44° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 70° 43° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 77° 55° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 73° 60° 0.04 in, 24% Wind 23 mph

24 Sat 68° 52° 0.15 in Wind 23 mph

25 Sun 51° 38° – Wind 23 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:53 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 10 hr, 40 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Wild Rice River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wild Rice River near RutlandRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	58 mi
Wild Rice River near MantadorRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	1.3 cfs	Low	−0.1 cfs	39 mi
Wild Rice River near AbercrombieRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	9.82 ft	High	±0	17 mi
Wild Rice River below Wild Rice Diversion StructureRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	0.00 ft	No reference yet	±0	1.1 mi
Wild Rice River at Twin ValleyRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	2.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	47 mi
Wild Rice River at HendrumRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	3.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	38 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red River of The North at HicksonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	10.27 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	4.1 mi
Sheyenne River above Sheyenne R Diversion near HoraceRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	14.20 ft	Low	−0.10 ft	5.4 mi
South Branch Buffalo River at SabinRiver gauge, South Branch Buffalo River	7.20 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	10 mi
Red River of The North at FargoRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.11 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	10 mi
Sheyenne River near KindredRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	3.63 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Sheyenne River at West FargoRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	6.52 ft	Low	−0.11 ft	13 mi
Sheyenne River on Gol Road near KindredRiver gauge, Sheyenne River on Gol Road	35.68 ft	Very low	±0	13 mi
Sheyenne River Diversion at West FargoRiver gauge, Sheyenne River Diversion	6.59 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	13 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Wild Rice River near St Benedict higher than last year?

No, it is 1.76 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 25.06 ft.

What is a normal level for the Wild Rice River near St Benedict in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 24.45 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 23.89 ft and 34.30 ft, based on 8 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 Wild Rice River near St Benedict today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT, the water level was 23.30 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Wild Rice River near St Benedict rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Wild Rice River near St Benedict normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 8 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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:05053500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.71694, -96.82056 (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	23.30 ft	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional
Flow	0.0 cfs	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wild Rice River near St Benedict (usgs:05053500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/wild-rice-river-near-st-benedict

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