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SwedenBig Sunflower River at Sunflower water level
River gauge, Big Sunflower River, Mississippi, United States
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
- Flow
- 8.2 cfs
History
20252026
The forecast expects the river to fall to −1.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 08:32 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
Low water at Big Sunflower River at Sunflower: the gauge reads −1.20 ft, far below normal for mid-October.
That puts it 1.10 ft below the median of −0.10 ft for mid-October, based on 25 years of readings. It is 22.20 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 0.27 ft (−1.47 ft).
The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to −1.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is −1.24 ft – −0.29 ft.
Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- −0.10 ft1.10 ft below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- −0.83 ft – 18.79 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 0.27 ft−1.47 ft
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- −1.24 ft – −0.29 ft
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- −1.21 ft – 16.86 ft
- Highest on record
- 28.37 ftMarch 18, 1973
- Forecast peak
- −1.20 ftMonday, October 19 at 07:00 AM
Paddling and fishing conditions
At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.
For reference, flood stage is 21.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 28.00 ft
- Water is close to entering homes along the river. Significant acreage of farmland is flooded west of the river.
- 26.00 ft
- Low lying streets along the river in the city of Sunflower begin to flood. Moll Road, 3 miles northeast of Indianola, is impassable by car.
- 25.00 ft
- Water begins to cover a small section of Moll Road northeast of Indianola. Water begins to spread across farmland from Jones Bayou. Widespread agricultural flooding is a occurring in this area.
- 23.00 ft
- Farm roads to catfish ponds become inundated. Jeffcoat road west of river gage floods
- 21.00 ft
- Field west of river begins to flood.
- −1.20 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 | 28.37 ft | March 18, 1973 |
| 2 | 28.30 ft | May 5, 1958 |
| 3 | 28.10 ft | May 2, 1991 |
| 4 | 28.04 ft | June 15, 2021 |
| 5 | 28.00 ft | February 24, 1991 |
| 6 | 27.95 ft | March 16, 2016 |
| 7 | 27.83 ft | February 26, 2019 |
| 8 | 27.60 ft | December 18, 2001 |
| 9 | 27.60 ft | January 1, 1983 |
| 10 | 27.50 ft | December 3, 2001 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Big Sunflower River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Sunflower River at ClarksdaleRiver gauge, Big Sunflower River | 0.2 cfs | Very low | +0.1 cfs | 45 mi |
| Big Sunflower River near MerigoldRiver gauge, Big Sunflower River | 3.42 ft | Very low | ±0 | 21 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quiver River near SunflowerRiver gauge, Quiver River | 9.31 ft | No reference yet | ±0 | 6.1 mi |
| Porter Bayou at StephensvilleRiver gauge, Porter Bayou | 12.41 ft | Normal | +0.01 ft | 7 mi |
| Quiver River near DoddsvilleRiver gauge, Quiver River | 3.80 ft | No reference yet | +0.01 ft | 10 mi |
| Bogue Phalia near MeltoniaRiver gauge, Bogue Phalia | 5.39 ft | No reference yet | −0.03 ft | 20 mi |
| Bogue Phalia near LelandRiver gauge, Bogue Phalia | 5.31 ft | Very low | −0.02 ft | 20 mi |
| Tallahatchie River at MoneyRiver gauge, Tallahatchie River | 15.69 ft | Low | −0.41 ft | 20 mi |
| Harris Bayou at Palmer Road East of AlligatorRiver gauge, Harris Bayou | 8.11 ft | Low | −0.01 ft | 37 mi |
| Bayou Macon at EudoraRiver gauge, Bayou Macon | 12.8 cfs | Very low | +0.2 cfs | 51 mi |
Questions and answers
How does the Big Sunflower River at Sunflower compare with last year?
It is 1.47 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.27 ft.
What is flood stage for the Big Sunflower River at Sunflower?
The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 22.20 ft below it.
What is a normal level for the Big Sunflower River at Sunflower in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is −0.10 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between −0.83 ft and 18.79 ft, based on 25 years of records.
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 Big Sunflower River at Sunflower today?
On Oct 19, 2026, 07:30 AM CDT, the water level was −1.20 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Big Sunflower River at Sunflower rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Big Sunflower River at Sunflower normal?
Very low for mid-October. Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:07288500(Agency page)- Coordinates
33.54736, -90.54316(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 | −1.20 ft | 2026-10-19 12:30 | Provisional |
| Flow | 8.2 cfs | 2026-10-19 12:30 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Big Sunflower River at Sunflower (usgs:07288500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/mississippi/big-sunflower-river-at-sunflower
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