Little Cottonwood River near Courtland water level

Name: Little Cottonwood River near Courtland 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, Little Cottonwood River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

3.14ft Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 02:15 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 22.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Little Cottonwood River near Courtland is at 3.14 ft, in the normal range for late October.

It has risen 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.97 ft and 3.14 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Floating and fishing near Little Cottonwood River near Courtland

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 73° 46° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 75° 46° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 71° 59° – Wind 18 mph

24 Sat 79° 61° – Wind 20 mph

25 Sun 61° 43° 0.33 in, 34% Wind 15 mph

26 Mon 43° 38° 0.70 in, 38% Wind 15 mph

27 Tue 48° 33° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cottonwood River near New UlmRiver gauge, Cottonwood River	3.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	5.8 mi
Minnesota River at New UlmRiver gauge, Minnesota River	785.55 ft	Below flood stage	±0	5.8 mi
Watonwan River near Garden CityRiver gauge, Watonwan River	123 cfs	Normal	−8.0 cfs	16 mi
Blue Earth River near RapidanRiver gauge, Blue Earth River	1,350 cfs	High	−130.0 cfs	16 mi
Le Sueur River near RapidanRiver gauge, Le Sueur River	977 cfs	High	−83.0 cfs	17 mi
Minnesota River at MankatoRiver gauge, Minnesota River	4.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	17 mi
High Island Creek near HendersonRiver gauge, High Island Creek	53.8 cfs	Normal	±0	30 mi
Minnesota River at MortonRiver gauge, Minnesota River	7.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	38 mi

Questions and answers

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 Little Cottonwood River near Courtland today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 02:15 AM CDT, the water level was 3.14 ft. Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Cottonwood River near Courtland rising or falling?

Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Little Cottonwood River near Courtland normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05317200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.24662, -94.33904 (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	3.14 ft	2026-10-21 07:15	Provisional
Flow	22.0 cfs	2026-10-21 07:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Cottonwood River near Courtland (usgs:05317200). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/little-cottonwood-river-near-courtland

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