Big River at Byrnesville water level

Name: Big River at Byrnesville 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, Big River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.84ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 07:45 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 135 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Big River at Byrnesville is at 1.84 ft, in the normal range.

It is 14.16 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.77 ft and 1.86 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: 30.20 ftAugust 21, 1915

Floating and fishing near Big River at Byrnesville

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

Flood stage here is 16.00 ft, 14.16 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

30.30 ft: The porch of the upstream left bank residence floods at this level.
29.60 ft: The main floor at the Byrnesville mill begins to flood.
29.40 ft: The floor of the gage shed begins to flood.
28.00 ft: At this height, several homes along Burgan Grove Road are flooded.
26.00 ft: Based on NWC stage-based categorical flood inundation mapping, at this height water will begin flooding the outfields of the 2 easternmost ball fields at the Northwest Jefferson County Sports Complex.
22.40 ft: At this level, Twin Rivers Bridge Road must be closed.
20.50 ft: Burgan Grove Road begins flooding near Cottage Grove Road, cutting off access to Cottage Grove Road. Highway W near Hoene Spring is closed as water crosses the pavement.
19.30 ft: South Byrnesville Road begins flooding near this level.
19.10 ft: Backyards and one basement along Burgan Grove Road 2 miles west of House Springs begin to flood.
19.00 ft: Dutch Creek Road south of Byrnesville and Byrnesville Road near John McKeever Road north of Byrnesville begin to flood.
18.10 ft: State Highway BB southeast of Cedar Hill will be closed near this height.
18.00 ft: Cedar Hill Road at Cedar Hill and Klondike Road south of Cedar Hill begin to flood near this height.
1.84 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: 22 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	30.20 ft	August 21, 1915
2	30.09 ft	May 1, 2017
3	29.37 ft	September 25, 1993
4	27.61 ft	November 16, 1993
5	27.57 ft	April 12, 1994
6	27.57 ft	March 20, 2008
7	27.57 ft	November 6, 2024
8	27.18 ft	December 29, 2015
9	26.47 ft	November 21, 1985
10	26.42 ft	May 2, 1983

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:20 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on the Big River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big River at IrondaleRiver gauge, Big River	9.3 cfs	Very low	±0	39 mi
Big River below DeslogeRiver gauge, Big River	29.2 cfs	Low	−0.8 cfs	35 mi
Big River below Bonne TerreRiver gauge, Big River	23.0 cfs	Very low	+3.5 cfs	30 mi
Big River near RichwoodsRiver gauge, Big River	96.4 cfs	Low	−10.6 cfs	16 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Meramec River at PacificRiver gauge, Meramec River	−1.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	7 mi
Meramec River near EurekaRiver gauge, Meramec River	2.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	8 mi
Williams Creek near Peerless ParkRiver gauge, Williams Creek	1.6 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	12 mi
Keifer Creek near BallwinRiver gauge, Keifer Creek	1.2 cfs	Low	−0.5 cfs	12 mi
Fishpot Creek at Valley ParkRiver gauge, Fishpot Creek	1.0 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	13 mi
Fenton Creek near FentonRiver gauge, Fenton Creek	0.5 cfs	Normal	+0.1 cfs	13 mi
Meramec River at Valley ParkRiver gauge, Meramec River	−2.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	14 mi
Yarnell Creek at FentonRiver gauge, Yarnell Creek	0.4 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	14 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Big River at Byrnesville?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 14.16 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 Big River at Byrnesville today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 07:45 PM CDT, the water level was 1.84 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big River at Byrnesville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Big River at Byrnesville normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Big River at Byrnesville?

The highest level on record is 30.20 ft on August 21, 1915.

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:07018500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.39172, -90.63781 (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	1.84 ft	2026-10-19 00:45	Provisional
Flow	135 cfs	2026-10-19 00:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big River at Byrnesville (usgs:07018500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/big-river-at-byrnesville

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