Eau Claire River at Kelly water level

Name: Eau Claire River at Kelly 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, Eau Claire River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

0.48ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 90.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Eau Claire River at Kelly is at 0.48 ft, in the normal range.

It is 8.52 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 0.48 ft and 0.62 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: 11.45 ftAugust 21, 1926

Floating and fishing near Eau Claire River at Kelly

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

Flood stage here is 9.00 ft, 8.52 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

15.50 ft: Several feet of water may be covering the Ross Avenue and Camp Phillips bridges.
13.50 ft: Floodwaters may reach the Ross Avenue and Camp Phillips bridges.
11.00 ft: Up to 2 feet of water may reach portions of some homes adjacent to the river from Ross Avenue downstream to the Wisconsin River. Portions of Yellow Banks Park is flooded with several feet of water.
9.00 ft: Water may be approaching homes near the Ross Avenue bridge.
7.00 ft: Flooding is confined to lowland wooded areas and agricultural land. Floodwaters may approach some yardsdownstream in Schofield.
6.00 ft: There is minor flooding of lowland.
0.48 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.45 ft	August 21, 1926
2	10.72 ft	March 25, 1976
3	10.14 ft	March 24, 1991
4	10.04 ft	April 12, 1965
5	9.90 ft	March 20, 1921
6	9.80 ft	March 28, 1961
7	9.75 ft	August 9, 1922
8	9.61 ft	July 28, 2020
9	9.49 ft	March 29, 1988
10	9.45 ft	March 24, 1979

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 59° 40° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 63° 36° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 67° 48° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 67° 49° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 70° 56° – Wind 17 mph

25 Sun 62° 44° 0.04 in Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 43° 30° 0.72 in Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:21 AM Sunset 06:06 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wisconsin River at RothschildRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	13.24 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	4.7 mi
Big Rib River at Rib FallsRiver gauge, Big Rib River	2.18 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	18 mi
Wisconsin River at MerrillRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	3.80 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	19 mi
Prairie River near MerrillRiver gauge, Prairie River	2.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	22 mi
Big Eau Pleine River at StratfordRiver gauge, Big Eau Pleine River	2.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	27 mi
Tomorrow River near NelsonvilleRiver gauge, Tomorrow River	31.6 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	29 mi
Little Plover River near PloverRiver gauge, Little Plover River	8.5 cfs	High	+0.9 cfs	31 mi
Red River at Morgan Road near MorganRiver gauge, Red River	5.87 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	35 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Eau Claire River at Kelly?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 8.52 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 Eau Claire River at Kelly today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:00 PM CDT, the water level was 0.48 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Eau Claire River at Kelly rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Eau Claire River at Kelly normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Eau Claire River at Kelly?

The highest level on record is 11.45 ft on August 21, 1926.

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:05397500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.91889, -89.55194 (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	0.48 ft	2026-10-20 19:00	Provisional
Flow	90.8 cfs	2026-10-20 19:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Eau Claire River at Kelly (usgs:05397500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/eau-claire-river-at-kelly

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