Blanchard River at Ottawa OH water level

Name: Blanchard River at Ottawa OH 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, Blanchard River, Ohio, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.72ft Up 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:15 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 35.1 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:45 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Blanchard River at Ottawa OH is at 4.72 ft, in the normal range.

It is 18.28 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft.

It has risen 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 AM. There is still 18.28 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 4.63 ft and 4.79 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 33.30 ftMarch 25, 1913
Forecast peak: 4.80 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Blanchard River at Ottawa OH

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

Flood stage here is 23.00 ft, 18.28 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

29.00 ft: Widespread major flooding occurs throughout downtown Ottawa.
27.00 ft: Flooding worsens on the south side of Ottawa, with water on several roads. Flooding also begins in other areas of Ottawa.
26.60 ft: Flood water begins to hit the bottom of the bridge at the gage site.
25.00 ft: Flooding begins along south Walnut and west Second Streets on the south side of Ottawa.
23.00 ft: Lowland flooding occurs mainly in south Ottawa. Flood water also gets into low farmlands.
4.72 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	33.30 ft	March 25, 1913
2	31.40 ft	August 23, 2007
3	29.75 ft	June 15, 1981
4	29.72 ft	February 11, 1959
5	29.29 ft	February 7, 2008
6	28.85 ft	December 23, 2013
7	28.72 ft	March 9, 2009
8	28.46 ft	March 2, 2011
9	28.40 ft	June 2, 1997
10	27.55 ft	July 15, 2017

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.51 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 67° 37° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 70° 39° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 68° 46° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 69° 47° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 69° 49° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 71° 47° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 72° 51° – Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:53 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Blanchard River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Blanchard River below Mt. Blanchard OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River	2.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	26 mi
Blanchard River above Findlay OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River	14.7 cfs	Normal	+1.0 cfs	24 mi
Blanchard River near Findlay OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River	1.04 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	19 mi
Blanchard River at Gilboa OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River	29.3 cfs	Normal	+3.9 cfs	7 mi
Blanchard River near Dupont OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River	36.5 cfs	Normal	−4.1 cfs	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Riley Creek below Pandora OHRiver gauge, Riley Creek	4.6 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	4.8 mi
Ottawa River near Kalida OHRiver gauge, Ottawa River	4.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.21 ft	10 mi
Auglaize River near Fort Jennings OHRiver gauge, Auglaize River	2.01 ft	Below flood stage	±0	12 mi
Little Auglaize River at Melrose OHRiver gauge, Little Auglaize River	129 cfs	Normal	+10.0 cfs	19 mi
Ottawa River at Lima OHRiver gauge, Ottawa River	2.1 cfs	Low	−1.1 cfs	21 mi
Eagle Creek above Findlay OHRiver gauge, Eagle Creek	3.18 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	21 mi
Maumee River near Defiance OHRiver gauge, Maumee River	2.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	23 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Blanchard River at Ottawa OH?

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 18.28 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 Blanchard River at Ottawa OH today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:15 AM EDT, the water level was 4.72 ft. Up 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Blanchard River at Ottawa OH rising or falling?

Up 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Blanchard River at Ottawa OH normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Blanchard River at Ottawa OH?

The highest level on record is 33.30 ft on March 25, 1913.

Is Blanchard River at Ottawa OH expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04189260 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.01700, -84.04689 (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	4.72 ft	2026-10-19 13:15	Provisional
Flow	35.1 cfs	2026-10-19 13:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Blanchard River at Ottawa OH (usgs:04189260). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/blanchard-river-at-ottawa-oh

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