Milk River at Malta MT water level

Name: Milk River at Malta MT 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, Milk River, Montana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.79ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 07:00 PM MDT (2 hours ago)

Flow: 101 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Milk River at Malta MT is at 1.79 ft, in the normal range.

It is 14.21 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

It has risen 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 14.21 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 1.71 ft and 1.79 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: 23.67 ftSeptember 27, 1986

Floating and fishing near Milk River at Malta MT

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

Flood stage here is 16.00 ft, 14.21 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Flood water start impacting US Highway 191 north of Malta between US 2 and milepost 2.
19.50 ft: Buildings on the west and north side of the river begin to flood.
19.00 ft: Cabins along the east bank of the river will begin to be affected by the water.
16.00 ft: Campground near US 2 bridge begins to flood.
1.79 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	23.67 ft	September 27, 1986
2	19.74 ft	April 3, 1978
3	18.13 ft	April 26, 2018
4	18.10 ft	October 7, 2016
5	17.77 ft	March 19, 1979
6	17.64 ft	May 25, 2011
7	15.52 ft	June 7, 2013
8	14.68 ft	April 17, 2023
9	14.20 ft	August 27, 2014
10	10.92 ft	March 26, 1997

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 79° 32° – Wind 17 mph

18 Sun 58° 39° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 68° 36° – Wind 16 mph

20 Tue 63° 48° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 65° 45° – Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 72° 53° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 59° 43° 0.28 in, 36% Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 10 hr, 39 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the Milk River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Milk River at Eastern Crossing of Int BndryRiver gauge, Milk River	2.29 ft	Below flood stage	±0	124 mi
Milk River at Havre MTRiver gauge, Milk River	0.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	85 mi
Milk River at Merrill Rd, near HarlemRiver gauge, Milk River	6.85 ft	No reference yet	−0.03 ft	46 mi
Milk River near Harlem MTRiver gauge, Milk River	2.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	41 mi
Milk River near Dodson MTRiver gauge, Milk River	4.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	19 mi
Milk River at Juneberg Bridge near Saco MTRiver gauge, Milk River	3.03 ft	Below flood stage	±0	32 mi
Milk River at Tampico MTRiver gauge, Milk River	2.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	49 mi
Milk River at Nashua MTRiver gauge, Milk River	1.93 ft	Below flood stage	±0	71 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Beaver Cr below Guston Coulee near Saco MTRiver gauge, Beaver Cr	0.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	14 mi
Nelson Reservoir and Nelson DikesReservoir	2,216.05 ft	Normal		20 mi
Beaver Creek near Hinsdale MTRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	2.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	33 mi
Lodge Pole Creek at Lodge PoleRiver gauge, Lodge Pole Creek	1.76 ft	No reference yet	+0.01 ft	38 mi
Peoples Creek near Hays MTRiver gauge, Peoples Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	40 mi
Little Peoples Creek near HaysRiver gauge, Little Peoples Creek	1.8 cfs	Normal	±0	45 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Milk River at Malta MT?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 14.21 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 Milk River at Malta MT today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 07:00 PM MDT, the water level was 1.79 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Milk River at Malta MT rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Milk River at Malta MT normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Milk River at Malta MT?

The highest level on record is 23.67 ft on September 27, 1986.

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:06155500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.36219, -107.87637 (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	1.79 ft	2026-10-19 01:00	Provisional
Flow	101 cfs	2026-10-19 01:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Milk River at Malta MT (usgs:06155500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/milk-river-at-malta-mt

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