Root River near Houston water level

Name: Root River near Houston 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, Root River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.17ft Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 03:45 PM CDT (38 min ago)

Flow: 977 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Root River near Houston reads 4.17 ft, a normal level.

It is 10.83 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 10.83 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.96 ft and 4.17 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: 19.28 ftMarch 15, 2019

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 15.00 ft, still 10.83 ft away.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: The water may overtop the protective levee.
15.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding occurs.
4.17 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.28 ft	March 15, 2019
2	18.32 ft	March 2, 1965
3	18.15 ft	August 19, 2007
4	17.59 ft	June 2, 2000
5	17.01 ft	September 24, 2016
6	16.57 ft	June 24, 2024
7	16.56 ft	March 27, 1950
8	16.56 ft	September 17, 2004
9	16.50 ft	February 23, 1985
10	16.37 ft	May 21, 2013

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.83 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 61° 38° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 65° 40° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 67° 44° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 70° 46° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 65° 53° 0.07 in Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 71° 49° 0.02 in Wind 14 mph

24 Sat 67° 50° 0.02 in Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:19 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Root River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Root River near Pilot MoundRiver gauge, Root River	8.79 ft	Below flood stage	+0.10 ft	23 mi
Root River above RushfordRiver gauge, Root River	10.02 ft	Below flood stage	+0.16 ft	12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Root River near HoustonRiver gauge, South Fork Root River	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	±0	2.1 mi
Crooked Creek at FreeburgRiver gauge, Crooked Creek	6.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	15 mi
La Crosse River near La CrosseRiver gauge, La Crosse River	3.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.26 ft	19 mi
Mississippi River at WinonaRiver gauge, Mississippi River	5.77 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	20 mi
Waterloo Creek near DorchesterRiver gauge, Waterloo Creek	7.22 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	22 mi
Upper Iowa River near DorchesterRiver gauge, Upper Iowa River	7.63 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	24 mi
Black River near GalesvilleRiver gauge, Black River	3.80 ft	Below flood stage	+0.11 ft	25 mi
Trempealeau River at DodgeRiver gauge, Trempealeau River	5.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Root River near Houston?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 10.83 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 Root River near Houston today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:45 PM CDT, the water level was 4.17 ft. Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Root River near Houston rising or falling?

Up 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Root River near Houston normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Root River near Houston?

The highest level on record is 19.28 ft on March 15, 2019.

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:05385000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.76858, -91.56987 (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	4.17 ft	2026-10-18 20:45	Provisional
Flow	977 cfs	2026-10-18 20:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Root River near Houston (usgs:05385000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/root-river-near-houston

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