Sand Hill River at Climax water level

Name: Sand Hill River at Climax 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, Sand Hill River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.27ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 AM CDT (59 min ago)

Flow: 28.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Sand Hill River at Climax is at 4.27 ft, in the normal range.

It is 15.73 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.24 ft and 4.32 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: 39.40 ftApril 20, 1997

Floating and fishing near Sand Hill River at Climax

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

Flood stage here is 20.00 ft, 15.73 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

34.00 ft: Several homes on northwest side of town threatened. Sanitary sewer lift station on north end of town is threatened.
30.00 ft: MAJOR FLOOD STAGE.
29.00 ft: Hwy 220 west of Climax is closed and underwater.
26.00 ft: Hwy 75 north of Climax is closed and underwater.
25.00 ft: MODERATE FLOOD STAGE.
20.00 ft: MINOR FLOOD STAGE.
15.00 ft: ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE. Golf course begins to be inundated.
4.27 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	39.40 ft	April 20, 1997
2	34.56 ft	April 13, 2011
3	32.79 ft	April 23, 1979
4	29.86 ft	April 7, 2006
5	29.85 ft	March 23, 2010
6	28.32 ft	April 17, 1969
7	27.82 ft	April 13, 2019
8	27.21 ft	April 10, 1978
9	26.84 ft	April 10, 2020
10	26.05 ft	April 14, 2001

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.

18 Sun 64° 41° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 59° 35° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 64° 38° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 66° 50° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 74° 51° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 71° 61° 0.04 in Wind 24 mph

24 Sat 71° 44° – Wind 24 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:52 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 10 hr, 41 min First quarter 60%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red River of The North near ThompsonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	17.13 ft	Low	±0	12 mi
Red Lake River at FisherRiver gauge, Red Lake River	1,480 cfs	Normal	−40.0 cfs	13 mi
Marsh River near ShellyRiver gauge, Marsh River	3.46 ft	Below flood stage	±0	14 mi
Red Lake River at CrookstonRiver gauge, Red Lake River	6.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	15 mi
Red River of The North at HalstadRiver gauge, Red River of The North	3.83 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	18 mi
Goose River at HillsboroRiver gauge, Goose River	1.77 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	18 mi
Wild Rice River at HendrumRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	3.52 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	24 mi
Red River of The North at Grand ForksRiver gauge, Red River of The North	16.50 ft	High	+0.01 ft	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Sand Hill River at Climax?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 15.73 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 Sand Hill River at Climax today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 AM CDT, the water level was 4.27 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Sand Hill River at Climax rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Sand Hill River at Climax normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Sand Hill River at Climax?

The highest level on record is 39.40 ft on April 20, 1997.

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:05069000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.61194, -96.81444 (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	4.27 ft	2026-10-19 14:45	Provisional
Flow	28.6 cfs	2026-10-19 14:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sand Hill River at Climax (usgs:05069000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/sand-hill-river-at-climax

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