South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin water level

Name: South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin 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, South Branch Buffalo River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

7.17ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 02:45 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin is at 7.17 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.83 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 7.17 ft and 7.20 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: 19.90 ftJuly 2, 1975

Floating and fishing near South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin

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

Flood stage here is 13.00 ft, 5.83 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

19.00 ft: MAJOR FLOOD STAGE.
17.00 ft: Bridge deck at gage floods.
15.00 ft: MODERATE FLOOD STAGE.
14.20 ft: Road to access gage floods.
14.00 ft: Agricultural flooding begins.
13.00 ft: MINOR FLOOD STAGE. Flooding on road cut at old meander scar east of gage begins.
12.00 ft: ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
7.17 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.90 ft	July 2, 1975
2	19.11 ft	April 6, 1997
3	19.08 ft	March 25, 2009
4	18.29 ft	April 1, 2006
5	18.12 ft	April 10, 1969
6	17.71 ft	April 14, 2023
7	17.58 ft	March 15, 2010
8	17.04 ft	June 9, 1962
9	16.79 ft	March 31, 2019
10	16.78 ft	March 15, 1966

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 69° 40° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 65° 32° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 69° 42° – Wind 19 mph

21 Wed 69° 49° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 75° 53° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 71° 61° 0.09 in, 24% Wind 25 mph

24 Sat 71° 46° – Wind 25 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:50 AM Sunset 06:34 PM Daylight 10 hr, 43 min First quarter 62%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red River of The North at FargoRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.07 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	9 mi
Wild Rice River near St BenedictRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	23.31 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Red River of The North at HicksonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	10.25 ft	Low	+0.07 ft	11 mi
Buffalo River near DilworthRiver gauge, Buffalo River	3.16 ft	Below flood stage	±0	13 mi
Sheyenne River above Sheyenne R Diversion near HoraceRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	14.31 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	14 mi
Buffalo River near HawleyRiver gauge, Buffalo River	3.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	15 mi
Sheyenne River at West FargoRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	6.63 ft	Low	+0.06 ft	15 mi
Sheyenne River Diversion at West FargoRiver gauge, Sheyenne River Diversion	6.61 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	16 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 5.83 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 South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:45 PM CDT, the water level was 7.17 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin?

The highest level on record is 19.90 ft on July 2, 1975.

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:05061500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.77566, -96.62775 (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	7.17 ft	2026-10-19 19:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin (usgs:05061500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/south-branch-buffalo-river-at-sabin

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