Spring River at Carthage water level

Name: Spring River at Carthage 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, Spring River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.76ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 03:45 PM CDT (57 min ago)

Flow: 87.9 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Spring River at Carthage reads 2.76 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.24 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.76 ft and 2.90 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: 20.33 ftDecember 27, 2015

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 10.00 ft, still 7.24 ft away.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: this is the record crest which occurred on May 18 1943.
20.33 ft: this is the crest level reached December 27, 2015.
20.00 ft: major flooding occurs at the gage site. Flood waters inundate homes on Garrison Road or Highway 571 north of the river, and along Java, Primm and Main Streets.
18.44 ft: this is the crest level reached April 29, 2017.
16.50 ft: flood waters affect the railroad tracks along Civil War and High Streets. Flood waters rise to one to two feet in depth along High Street on the southeast side of Civil War Road.
16.00 ft: flood waters impact the railroad track on the north side of Carthage on Civil War Road and some homes in low lying areas along Garrison Street or Highway 571. Low lying areas along Primm Street and Main Street north of the Spring River also flood.
15.50 ft: on Java Street, just southwest of the gage site, flood waters impact homes near the river.
15.00 ft: flood waters rise to approximately one foot in depth along Civil War Road south and west of the river.Flood waters inundate homes on Garrison Road or Highway 571 north of the river, and along Java, Primm and Main Streets.
14.50 ft: flood waters impact Civil War Road to the south and west of the river. North Woods Street west of Civil War Road floods as well as farm land along the river.
14.00 ft: moderate flooding occurs at the gage site. The levee system closes due to flood waters affecting the north central industrial section of Carthage. Flood waters affect low lying areas and country roads north and west of Carthage along the river. Kellogg Lake Park floods and is closed.
10.00 ft: minor flooding occurs at the gage site. Flood waters impact State Highway 37 east of Carthage between Avilla and Reeds.
2.76 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: 17 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.33 ft	December 27, 2015
2	18.44 ft	April 30, 2017
3	17.98 ft	May 24, 2019
4	17.54 ft	May 6, 2022
5	16.55 ft	April 26, 2011
6	16.15 ft	July 30, 2013
7	15.58 ft	May 1, 2019
8	14.27 ft	March 20, 2020
9	13.73 ft	February 25, 2018
10	12.98 ft	June 6, 2014

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.63 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 38° – Wind 10 mph

18 Sun 65° 42° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 71° 45° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 74° 51° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 76° 53° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 80° 57° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 81° 61° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:39 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min First quarter 43%

Map

Other gauges on the Spring River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spring River at La RussellRiver gauge, Spring River	1.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	15 mi
Spring River near WacoRiver gauge, Spring River	1.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	14 mi
Spring River near Baxter SpringsRiver gauge, Spring River	3.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	25 mi
Spring River near QuapawRiver gauge, Spring River	5.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	29 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Fork Spring River near PurcellRiver gauge, North Fork Spring River	2.27 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	8 mi
Shoal Creek above JoplinRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	1.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	16 mi
East Drywood Creek at Prairie State ParkRiver gauge, East Drywood Creek	1.13 ft	Below flood stage	±0	27 mi
Beaver Creek near QuapawRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	1.0 cfs	Normal	±0	29 mi
Turnback Creek above GreenfieldRiver gauge, Turnback Creek	4.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	32 mi
Tar Creek near CommerceRiver gauge, Tar Creek	0.0 cfs	Very low	±0	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Spring River at Carthage?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.24 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 Spring River at Carthage today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 03:45 PM CDT, the water level was 2.76 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Spring River at Carthage rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Spring River at Carthage normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Spring River at Carthage?

The highest level on record is 20.33 ft on December 27, 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:07185765 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.18864, -94.32592 (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	2.76 ft	2026-10-17 20:45	Provisional
Flow	87.9 cfs	2026-10-17 20:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Spring River at Carthage (usgs:07185765). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/spring-river-at-carthage

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