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Imperial River near Bonita Springs water level

River gauge, Imperial River, Florida, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.46ft Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
128 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 15.32 ft Minor floodstage 11.00 ft

History

History
5810ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 20Minor flood stage5810ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20Minor flood stage
5810ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20Minor flood stage5810ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20Minor flood stage
510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Imperial River near Bonita Springs reads 5.46 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 6.19 ft, based on 37 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.73 ft below typical. It is 5.54 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.72 ft, a difference of +1.74 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.85 ft and 7.10 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 37 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
6.19 ft0.73 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.81 ft – 9.89 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (37 years of records)
Same day last year
3.72 ft+1.74 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.85 ft – 7.10 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.15 ft – 8.07 ft
Highest on record
15.32 ftSeptember 12, 2017

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 11.00 ft, still 5.54 ft away.

What happens at each level

14.50 ft
3 to 4 feet of water in homes near the gauge site. Imperial Bonita Estates flooded with widespread water of 1 to 2.5 feet depth in homes. Mobile home community just west of Interstate 75 and north of the Imperial river has water depth of 16 to 30 inches. Over 1000 homes impacted.
13.00 ft
Areal extent of flooding increases rapidly.
12.00 ft
Water in homes near the gauge site. Flooding begins in the south end of Imperial Bonita Estates.
11.00 ft
Flooding begins surrounding homes near the gauge site.
10.00 ft
River at bankfull. Flooding of low lying areas begins to affect nearby homes and roads.
5.46 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
115.32 ftSeptember 12, 2017
212.32 ftOctober 2, 2022

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.09 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 84° 65° – Wind 12 mph
21 Wed 83° 64° – Wind 10 mph
22 Thu 82° 64° – Wind 13 mph
23 Fri 82° 63° – Wind 19 mph
24 Sat 82° 67° 0.15 in, 21% Wind 21 mph
25 Sun 79° 70° 0.05 in, 25% Wind 28 mph
26 Mon 82° 71° 0.46 in Wind 22 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 11 hr, 26 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Spring Creek Headwater near Bonita SpringsRiver gauge, Spring Creek Headwater 6.57 ft Low −0.04 ft 3.1 mi
South Branch Estero River at EsteroRiver gauge, South Branch Estero River 3.57 ft Normal −0.14 ft 7 mi
North Branch Estero River at EsteroRiver gauge, North Branch Estero River 7.62 ft Low −0.11 ft 8 mi
Briarcliff Ditch at Mouth near EsteroCanal gauge, Briarcliff Ditch 5.77 ft Normal −0.03 ft 13 mi
Tenmile Canal at Control near EsteroCanal gauge, Tenmile Canal 5.77 ft Normal −0.02 ft 13 mi
Sixmile Cypress Creek near Fort MyersRiver gauge, Sixmile Cypress Creek 5.88 ft Very low −0.04 ft 14 mi
Lake Trafford near ImmokaleeLake, Lake Trafford 18.29 ft Very low +0.01 ft 18 mi
Whiskey Creek at Fort MyersRiver gauge, Whiskey Creek 3.08 ft Low ±0 19 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Imperial River near Bonita Springs higher than last year?

Yes, it is 1.74 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.72 ft.

What is flood stage for the Imperial River near Bonita Springs?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 5.54 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Imperial River near Bonita Springs in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.19 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.81 ft and 9.89 ft, based on 37 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 Imperial River near Bonita Springs today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:45 PM EDT, the water level was 5.46 ft. Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Imperial River near Bonita Springs rising or falling?

Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Imperial River near Bonita Springs normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 37 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:02291500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
26.33583, -81.74939 (WGS84)
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 5.46 ft 2026-10-20 21:45 Provisional
Flow 128 cfs 2026-10-20 21:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Imperial River near Bonita Springs (usgs:02291500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/florida/imperial-river-near-bonita-springs

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.