Ruby River above reservoir near Alder water level

Name: Ruby River above reservoir near Alder 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, Ruby River, Montana, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.93ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 AM MDT (56 min ago)

Flow: 103 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at Ruby River above reservoir near Alder: the gauge reads 2.93 ft, below normal for mid-October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 2.92 ft – 2.94 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 9.33 ftJanuary 7, 2011

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.33 ft	January 7, 2011
2	6.24 ft	May 16, 1964
3	6.24 ft	May 16, 1984
4	6.13 ft	May 21, 2006
5	6.07 ft	June 8, 2011
6	5.96 ft	June 27, 1998
7	5.62 ft	June 10, 1970
8	5.58 ft	May 21, 2008
9	5.55 ft	May 31, 2003
10	5.52 ft	August 26, 1991

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:50 AM Sunset 06:38 PM Daylight 10 hr, 48 min First quarter 57%

Map

Other gauges on the Ruby River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ruby River below reservoir near AlderRiver gauge, Ruby River	52.2 cfs	Low	±0	3.8 mi
Ruby River near Twin Bridges MTRiver gauge, Ruby River	160 cfs	Low	−2.0 cfs	24 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Madison River near Cameron MTRiver gauge, Madison River	926 cfs	Low	±0	19 mi
Beaverhead River near Twin Bridges MTRiver gauge, Beaverhead River	4.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	20 mi
Beaverhead River at Dillon MTRiver gauge, Beaverhead River	85.8 cfs	Very low	±0	25 mi
Big Hole River near Glen MTRiver gauge, Big Hole River	487 cfs	Normal	−8.0 cfs	26 mi
Big Hole R below Hamilton Ditch near Twin BridgesRiver gauge, Big Hole R	395 cfs	Normal	−5.0 cfs	27 mi
Beaverhead River at Barretts MTRiver gauge, Beaverhead River	94.6 cfs	Very low	−2.0 cfs	30 mi
Jefferson River near Twin BridgesRiver gauge, Jefferson River	3.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	30 mi
Madison River above powerplant near McAllister MTRiver gauge, Madison River	101 cfs	Low	−4.0 cfs	32 mi

Questions and answers

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 Ruby River above reservoir near Alder today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 AM MDT, the water level was 2.93 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Ruby River above reservoir near Alder rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Ruby River above reservoir near Alder normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Ruby River above reservoir near Alder?

The highest level on record is 9.33 ft on January 7, 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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:06019500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.19232, -112.14282 (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	2.93 ft	2026-10-19 07:45	Provisional
Flow	103 cfs	2026-10-19 07:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ruby River above reservoir near Alder (usgs:06019500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/montana/ruby-river-above-reservoir-near-alder

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