Osage River below St. Thomas water level

Name: Osage River below St. Thomas 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, Osage River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.46ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 04:45 PM CDT (51 min ago)

Flow: 1,220 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Osage River below St. Thomas is at 2.46 ft, in the normal range.

It is 20.54 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.46 ft and 2.61 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: 29.53 ftDecember 29, 2015

Floating and fishing near Osage River below St. Thomas

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

Flood stage here is 23.00 ft, 20.54 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

34.70 ft: Additional residences along Spring Beauty Lane become threatened near this height.
32.70 ft: Residence near end of Spring Beauty Lane begins flooding near this height.
31.70 ft: Second residence along Old Ferry Road upstream of Route B bridge begins flooding near this height.
28.40 ft: Lowest residence at the end of Spring Beauty Lane begins flooding near this height.
26.60 ft: Lowest house on Old Ferry Road upstream of the bridge begins flooding near this height.
23.00 ft: Near this height, Route W in Cole County will be closed in both directions.
20.50 ft: At least two farm houses become cut off by the rising water near the mouth of Profits Creek.
17.00 ft: At least 5 acres of farmland are flooded near the mouth of Profits Creek downstream of the gauge.
16.50 ft: Water begins flooding the bank near Profits Creek mouth downstream of the gauge.
2.46 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	29.53 ft	December 29, 2015
2	25.45 ft	May 1, 2017
3	25.04 ft	August 8, 2013
4	23.95 ft	July 3, 2015
5	23.37 ft	January 6, 2005
6	23.13 ft	May 4, 2017
7	21.86 ft	June 26, 1998
8	20.99 ft	April 1, 2008
9	20.94 ft	June 17, 2009
10	19.78 ft	October 6, 1998

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.94 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 59° 40° – Wind 9 mph

18 Sun 66° 41° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 73° 42° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 74° 51° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 77° 53° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 80° 54° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 81° 55° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:20 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 44%

Map

Other gauges on the Osage River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Osage River above Schell CityRiver gauge, Osage River	10.78 ft	Below flood stage	+1.03 ft	108 mi
Osage River at TabervilleRiver gauge, Osage River	9.50 ft	Below flood stage	+0.35 ft	101 mi
Osage River at WarsawRiver gauge, Osage River	25.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	65 mi
Osage River near BagnellRiver gauge, Osage River	1.42 ft	Low	+0.09 ft	27 mi
Osage River at TuscumbiaRiver gauge, Osage River	1.50 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	19 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Moreau River near Jefferson CityRiver gauge, Moreau River	1.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	7 mi
Tavern Creek below St. ElizabethRiver gauge, Tavern Creek	0.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Missouri River at Jefferson CityRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.37 ft	12 mi
Maries River at WestphaliaRiver gauge, Maries River	0.29 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	12 mi
Gasconade River near Rich FountainRiver gauge, Gasconade River	2.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	21 mi
Auxvasse Creek near ReformRiver gauge, Auxvasse Creek	11.3 cfs	Normal	−9.3 cfs	31 mi
Hinkson Creek at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Hinkson Creek	4.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.36 ft	36 mi
Gasconade River at JeromeRiver gauge, Gasconade River	1.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	36 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Osage River below St. Thomas?

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 20.54 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 Osage River below St. Thomas today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 04:45 PM CDT, the water level was 2.46 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Osage River below St. Thomas rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Osage River below St. Thomas normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Osage River below St. Thomas?

The highest level on record is 29.53 ft on December 29, 2015.

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:06926510 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.42144, -92.20825 (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	2.46 ft	2026-10-17 21:45	Provisional
Flow	1,220 cfs	2026-10-17 21:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Osage River below St. Thomas (usgs:06926510). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/osage-river-below-st-thomas

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