Eel River at Bowling Green water level

Name: Eel River at Bowling Green 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, Eel River, Indiana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.58ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:30 PM CDT (47 min ago)

Flow: 130 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Eel River at Bowling Green, where the gauge shows 2.58 ft.

It is 12.42 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.57 ft – 2.78 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: 30.00 ftAugust 1, 1875

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 15.00 ft.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: Record flood occurred in August 1875 and was estimated at 30 feet. With the completion of Cagles Mill Dam in 1953, it is unlikely that this height will ever be reached again. The river is nearly 1 mile wide and would submerge SR 46 & 59 by 2 feet. Great rural destruction occurs. Many rural evacuations, all roads in the flood plain and all levees are overtopped. Most river cabins and other structures in the flood plain are swept away. Residents on high ground are isolated.
25.00 ft: Flood water isolates residents on high ground and begins to cross SR 46 just west of Bowling Green.
24.00 ft: A very unusual flood. With Cagles Mill Reservoir in full operation since 1953, floods have not reached this level.
23.00 ft: A large and unusual flood is in progress. Persons living in river cabins need to evacuate. SR 42 east of the Eel River extensively flooded. All county roads in the flood plain are underwater. Some residents on high ground need boats to reach or leave their homes. Levees protecting agricultural lands downstream failed or were overtopped in June 2008.
22.00 ft: An unusual flood is in progress. Water covers both lanes of SR 42 east of the Eel River. Many county roads flood extensively. Flood water isolates some farm houses. Water is near the top of most agricultural levees.
20.00 ft: Flood water, possibly a foot deep, covers SR 42 just east of the Eel River. Several county roads flood extensively. Persons in river cabins move cars and possibly belongings to high ground. Agricultural levees are threatened. Poland-Bowling Green Road is impassable in several places.
19.10 ft: Flood water covers both lanes of SR 42 just east of the Eel River. Several county roads are flooded. Persons in river cabins may move cars and possibly belongings to high ground. Poland-Bowling Green Road is impassable on the northeast outskirts of Bowling Green.
18.00 ft: Typical high water after heavy rains. This causes extensive flooding of bottomlands and floods many county roads. Persons living in river cabins are inconvenienced. Campers must move from low ground. Poland-Bowling Green road is impassable.
17.00 ft: Flood water covers considerable bottomlands and floods a few county roads including the Poland-Bowling Green Road.
16.00 ft: Lowland flooding is occurring along portions of the river. Sonnefield Road at McIntyre Creek is impassable. Water is on portions of Pioneer Road in the vicinity of CR 50 N. This level threatens campers.
15.00 ft: Lowland flooding begins along portions of the Eel River. Water approaches and may be on Sonnefield Road at McIntyre Creek. Lowest campgrounds along the river begin to flood.
14.00 ft: The Eel River is at bankfull levels in northeast Clay County. This level does not bother anyone if the river goes down in 1 to 2 days.
2.58 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: 33 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	30.00 ft	August 1, 1875
2	24.80 ft	March 26, 1913
3	23.53 ft	January 4, 1950
4	23.48 ft	June 7, 2008
5	23.39 ft	June 29, 1957
6	22.56 ft	April 19, 2013
7	22.19 ft	May 8, 1961
8	22.04 ft	March 5, 1963
9	21.78 ft	April 6, 2025
10	21.59 ft	December 30, 1990

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 63° 39° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 67° 42° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 72° 48° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 73° 49° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 73° 50° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 74° 49° – Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 74° 52° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:03 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Eel River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Eel River at North ManchesterRiver gauge, Eel River	2.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	129 mi
Eel River near LogansportRiver gauge, Eel River	3.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	105 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mill Creek near ManhattanRiver gauge, Mill Creek	8.80 ft	Below flood stage	+0.71 ft	9 mi
Cagles Mill Lake near ManhattanLake, Cagles Mill Lake	639.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	9 mi
Big Walnut Creek near ReelsvilleRiver gauge, Big Walnut Creek	0.86 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	11 mi
Mill Creek near CataractRiver gauge, Mill Creek	4.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	15 mi
White River at SpencerRiver gauge, White River	2.81 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	16 mi
Wabash River at Terre HauteRiver gauge, Wabash River	5.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	22 mi
Cecil M. Harden Lake at FerndaleLake, Cecil M. Harden Lake	661.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	23 mi
Big Raccoon Creek at CoxvilleRiver gauge, Big Raccoon Creek	4.78 ft	Below flood stage	±0	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Eel River at Bowling Green?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 12.42 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 Eel River at Bowling Green today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:30 PM CDT, the water level was 2.58 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Eel River at Bowling Green rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Eel River at Bowling Green normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Eel River at Bowling Green?

The highest level on record is 30.00 ft on August 1, 1875.

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:03360000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.38407, -87.02089 (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	2.58 ft	2026-10-19 20:30	Provisional
Flow	130 cfs	2026-10-19 20:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Eel River at Bowling Green (usgs:03360000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/eel-river-at-bowling-green

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