Wild Rice River at Hendrum water level

Name: Wild Rice River at Hendrum 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, Wild Rice River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.51ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 AM CDT (24 min ago)

Flow: 51.2 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Wild Rice River at Hendrum is at 3.51 ft, in the normal range.

It is 16.49 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.46 ft and 3.58 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: 33.85 ftApril 18, 1997

Floating and fishing near Wild Rice River at Hendrum

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

Flood stage here is 20.00 ft, 16.49 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

32.00 ft: MAJOR FLOOD STAGE.
31.00 ft: Water levels reach low steel on bottom of Co. Hwy 25 bridge.
29.00 ft: Banks overflow.
28.00 ft: MODERATE FLOOD STAGE. Agricultural flooding begins.
20.00 ft: MINOR FLOOD STAGE.
18.00 ft: ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
3.51 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	33.85 ft	April 18, 1997
2	33.56 ft	March 29, 2009
3	33.06 ft	April 12, 2011
4	32.41 ft	April 5, 2006
5	32.30 ft	April 21, 1979
6	32.05 ft	July 9, 1975
7	31.95 ft	April 10, 2019
8	31.76 ft	March 19, 2010
9	31.62 ft	April 14, 2001
10	31.42 ft	April 10, 1978

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 67° 44° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 63° 34° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 69° 46° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 69° 51° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 74° 51° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 69° 63° 0.07 in, 23% Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 63° 38° 1.43 in, 34% Wind 26 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:50 AM Sunset 06:36 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on the Wild Rice River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wild Rice River near RutlandRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	92 mi
Wild Rice River near MantadorRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	1.4 cfs	Low	±0	76 mi
Wild Rice River near AbercrombieRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	9.83 ft	High	±0	55 mi
Wild Rice River below Wild Rice Diversion StructureRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	0.00 ft	No reference yet	±0	39 mi
Wild Rice River near St BenedictRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	23.31 ft	Very low	±0	38 mi
Wild Rice River at Twin ValleyRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	2.09 ft	Below flood stage	±0	26 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red River of The North at HalstadRiver gauge, Red River of The North	3.90 ft	Very low	−0.11 ft	6 mi
Marsh River near ShellyRiver gauge, Marsh River	3.46 ft	Below flood stage	±0	10 mi
Red River of The North near GeorgetownRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.20 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	12 mi
Goose River at HillsboroRiver gauge, Goose River	1.76 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	16 mi
Sheyenne River at HarwoodRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	68.77 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	20 mi
Buffalo River near DilworthRiver gauge, Buffalo River	3.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	22 mi
Sand Hill River at ClimaxRiver gauge, Sand Hill River	4.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	24 mi
Rush River at AmeniaRiver gauge, Rush River	9.29 ft	Very high	+0.04 ft	26 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Wild Rice River at Hendrum?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 16.49 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 Wild Rice River at Hendrum today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 AM CDT, the water level was 3.51 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Wild Rice River at Hendrum rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Wild Rice River at Hendrum normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Wild Rice River at Hendrum?

The highest level on record is 33.85 ft on April 18, 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:05064000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.26694, -96.79611 (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	3.51 ft	2026-10-18 14:30	Provisional
Flow	51.2 cfs	2026-10-18 14:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wild Rice River at Hendrum (usgs:05064000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/wild-rice-river-at-hendrum

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