Milk River at Tampico MT water level

Name: Milk River at Tampico 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

2.60ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:30 AM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 115 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Milk River at Tampico MT is at 2.60 ft, in the normal range.

It is 20.40 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.60 ft and 2.71 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: 28.03 ftApril 15, 2011

Floating and fishing near Milk River at Tampico MT

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

Flood stage here is 23.00 ft, 20.40 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: BNSF railroad may start to experience problems with water in ditches along and near track roadbed.
29.00 ft: Water starts to flood Tampico Road in the Tampico area.
28.50 ft: Power substation between the Milk River and Tampico Road will begin to flood.
25.50 ft: County gravel roads north of the Milk River become impassable.
24.00 ft: North Tampico Road north of the river begins to flood. .
2.60 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	28.03 ft	April 15, 2011
2	27.94 ft	April 15, 2023
3	27.90 ft	June 10, 2011
4	27.55 ft	March 27, 1997
5	27.37 ft	March 28, 2019
6	26.98 ft	April 25, 2018
7	25.75 ft	October 10, 2016
8	25.40 ft	July 4, 1991
9	25.25 ft	March 22, 1976
10	25.20 ft	March 19, 1994

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 76° 34° – Wind 13 mph

18 Sun 56° 36° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 68° 35° – Wind 20 mph

20 Tue 65° 46° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 63° 45° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 71° 50° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 61° 44° 0.15 in, 40% Wind 21 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:12 PM Daylight 10 hr, 39 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Milk River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Milk River at Havre MTRiver gauge, Milk River	0.31 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	133 mi
Milk River at Merrill Rd, near HarlemRiver gauge, Milk River	6.83 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	94 mi
Milk River near Harlem MTRiver gauge, Milk River	2.17 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	90 mi
Milk River near Dodson MTRiver gauge, Milk River	4.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	68 mi
Milk River at Malta MTRiver gauge, Milk River	1.81 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	49 mi
Milk River at Juneberg Bridge near Saco MTRiver gauge, Milk River	3.03 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	23 mi
Milk River at Nashua MTRiver gauge, Milk River	1.93 ft	Below flood stage	±0	24 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Beaver Creek near Hinsdale MTRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	2.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	18 mi
Beaver Cr below Guston Coulee near Saco MTRiver gauge, Beaver Cr	0.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	35 mi
Nelson Reservoir and Nelson DikesReservoir	2,216.05 ft	Normal		35 mi
Missouri R at W Frazer Pump Plant near Frazer MTRiver gauge, Missouri R	7.98 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	37 mi
Missouri R at E Frazer Pump Plant near Frazer MTRiver gauge, Missouri R	41.61 ft	Low	±0	42 mi

Questions and answers

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

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 20.40 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 Tampico MT today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:30 AM MDT, the water level was 2.60 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Milk River at Tampico MT rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Milk River at Tampico 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 Tampico MT?

The highest level on record is 28.03 ft on April 15, 2011.

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:06172310 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.30791, -106.82232 (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	2.60 ft	2026-10-19 12:30	Provisional
Flow	115 cfs	2026-10-19 12:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Milk River at Tampico MT (usgs:06172310). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/milk-river-at-tampico-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