Elm River near Ordway water level

Name: Elm River near Ordway 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, Elm River, South Dakota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.11ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT (48 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year

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

What this means

The gauge at Elm River near Ordway reads 3.11 ft, a normal level.

It is 9.89 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.11 ft and 4.09 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

Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.11 ft – 4.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.16 ft – 6.03 ft
Highest on record: 15.88 ftApril 5, 2019

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 13.00 ft, still 9.89 ft away.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: The bridge at the gage site is overtopped.
16.00 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the bridge at the gage site.
3.11 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.88 ft	April 5, 2019
2	15.86 ft	March 18, 2010
3	15.65 ft	March 26, 2009
4	15.55 ft	March 29, 1997
5	15.08 ft	July 27, 2020
6	14.01 ft	June 12, 2005
7	13.87 ft	April 6, 2011
8	11.12 ft	April 23, 2018
9	10.91 ft	February 23, 2017
10	10.76 ft	April 11, 2001

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 70° 41° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 66° 47° – Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 79° 55° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 78° 64° 0.09 in, 33% Wind 25 mph

24 Sat 72° 47° 0.02 in Wind 25 mph

25 Sun 55° 38° – Wind 18 mph

26 Mon 48° 32° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:57 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Elm River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elm River near FrederickRiver gauge, Elm River	5.17 ft	Below flood stage	±0	24 mi
Elm River at WestportRiver gauge, Elm River	4.12 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
James River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, James River	9.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.11 ft	5.7 mi
Moccasin Creek at AberdeenRiver gauge, Moccasin Creek	1.60 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	7 mi
Foot Creek near AberdeenRiver gauge, Foot Creek	4.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Moccasin Creek near AberdeenRiver gauge, Moccasin Creek	13.31 ft	No reference yet	+0.03 ft	13 mi
James River near StratfordRiver gauge, James River	8.50 ft	Below flood stage	+0.24 ft	22 mi
Maple River at Nd-Sd State LineRiver gauge, Maple River	1.92 ft	Below flood stage	±0	26 mi
James River at Nd-Sd State LineRiver gauge, James River	88.20 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	28 mi
James River at AshtonRiver gauge, James River	4.90 ft	Below flood stage	+0.52 ft	39 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Elm River near Ordway?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 9.89 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 Elm River near Ordway today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 AM CDT, the water level was 3.11 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Elm River near Ordway rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.30 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Elm River near Ordway normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Elm River near Ordway?

The highest level on record is 15.88 ft on April 5, 2019.

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:06471510 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.56228, -98.41244 (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	3.11 ft	2026-10-20 16:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elm River near Ordway (usgs:06471510). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-dakota/elm-river-near-ordway

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