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Cedar River near Austin water level

River gauge, Cedar River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.23ft Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
609 cfs
10 20 Highest onrecord 23.26 ft Minor floodstage 10.00 ft

History

4.24.34.4ftOct 16Oct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 184.24.34.4ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18
Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Cedar River near Austin is at 4.23 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.77 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.12 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.94 ft and 4.43 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
23.26 ftSeptember 16, 2004

Floating and fishing near Cedar River near Austin

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

Flood stage here is 10.00 ft, 5.77 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

5.00 ft
Water begins to overflow right bank into adjacent farm field downstream of County Road 28 bridge.
4.23 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
123.26 ftSeptember 16, 2004
221.49 ftJuly 10, 2000
321.42 ftJune 12, 2008
420.58 ftJune 22, 2024
520.35 ftJuly 17, 1978
619.83 ftSeptember 24, 2010
719.50 ftSeptember 23, 2016
819.43 ftAugust 15, 1993
918.87 ftMarch 1, 1965
1018.06 ftJuly 7, 1978

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.91 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 62° 40° – Wind 20 mph
19 Mon 61° 39° – Wind 8 mph
20 Tue 66° 45° – Wind 12 mph
21 Wed 70° 49° 0.04 in Wind 14 mph
22 Thu 69° 55° 0.01 in Wind 9 mph
23 Fri 69° 52° 0.04 in Wind 19 mph
24 Sat 66° 48° – Wind 21 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on the Cedar River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cedar River at Charles CityRiver gauge, Cedar River 4.05 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 43 mi
Cedar River at WaverlyRiver gauge, Cedar River 5.13 ft Below flood stage +0.06 ft 67 mi
Cedar River at JanesvilleRiver gauge, Cedar River 2.98 ft Below flood stage +0.30 ft 73 mi
Cedar River at Cedar FallsRiver gauge, Cedar River 82.19 ft Normal +0.12 ft 81 mi
Cedar River at WaterlooRiver gauge, Cedar River 7.52 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 85 mi
Cedar River at VintonRiver gauge, Cedar River 7.00 ft Below flood stage +0.19 ft 112 mi
Cedar River at Blairs Ferry Road at PaloRiver gauge, Cedar River 6.99 ft Below flood stage +0.32 ft 124 mi
Cedar River at Edgewood Road at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River 5.37 ft No reference yet +0.14 ft 129 mi
Cedar River at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River 6.22 ft Below flood stage +0.27 ft 133 mi
Cedar River below Indian Creek at Cedar RapidsRiver gauge, Cedar River 9,950 cfs Normal +820 cfs 136 mi
Cedar River at Cedar BluffRiver gauge, Cedar River 8.63 ft Below flood stage +0.34 ft 153 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Deer Creek near CarpenterRiver gauge, Deer Creek 79.05 ft Below flood stage −0.18 ft 15 mi
Spring Creek near Mason CityRiver gauge, Spring Creek 81.11 ft No reference yet −0.06 ft 32 mi
Winnebago River at Mason CityRiver gauge, Winnebago River 5.61 ft Below flood stage +0.05 ft 34 mi
Willow Creek near Mason CityRiver gauge, Willow Creek 85.94 ft No reference yet −0.04 ft 37 mi
South Fork Zumbro River at RochesterRiver gauge, South Fork Zumbro River 2.91 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 39 mi
Clear Lake at Clear LakeLake, Clear Lake 4.63 ft High −0.01 ft 41 mi
West Main Drainage Ditch 1 and 2 near BrittCanal gauge, West Main Drainage Ditch 1 and 2 76.06 ft No reference yet −0.07 ft 55 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Cedar River near Austin?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 5.77 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 Cedar River near Austin today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 PM CDT, the water level was 4.23 ft. Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cedar River near Austin rising or falling?

Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cedar River near Austin normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cedar River near Austin?

The highest level on record is 23.26 ft on September 16, 2004.

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:05457000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
43.63757, -92.97480 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 4.23 ft 2026-10-18 23:00 Provisional
Flow 609 cfs 2026-10-18 23:00 Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cedar River near Austin (usgs:05457000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/cedar-river-near-austin

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