Blanchard River at Ottawa OH water level
River gauge, Blanchard River, Ohio, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 27.7 cfs
History
The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.90 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 PM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 10:56 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
The Blanchard River at Ottawa OH is at 4.63 ft, in the normal range.
It is 18.37 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft.
It has dropped 0.12 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.90 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 4.63 ft and 4.79 ft.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 33.30 ftMarch 25, 1913
- Forecast peak
- 4.90 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 PM
Floating and fishing near Blanchard River at Ottawa OH
Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.
Flood stage here is 23.00 ft, 18.37 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.
What happens at each level
- 29.00 ft
- Widespread major flooding occurs throughout downtown Ottawa.
- 27.00 ft
- Flooding worsens on the south side of Ottawa, with water on several roads. Flooding also begins in other areas of Ottawa.
- 26.60 ft
- Flood water begins to hit the bottom of the bridge at the gage site.
- 25.00 ft
- Flooding begins along south Walnut and west Second Streets on the south side of Ottawa.
- 23.00 ft
- Lowland flooding occurs mainly in south Ottawa. Flood water also gets into low farmlands.
- 4.63 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: 10 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33.30 ft | March 25, 1913 |
| 2 | 31.40 ft | August 23, 2007 |
| 3 | 29.75 ft | June 15, 1981 |
| 4 | 29.72 ft | February 11, 1959 |
| 5 | 29.29 ft | February 7, 2008 |
| 6 | 28.85 ft | December 23, 2013 |
| 7 | 28.72 ft | March 9, 2009 |
| 8 | 28.46 ft | March 2, 2011 |
| 9 | 28.40 ft | June 2, 1997 |
| 10 | 27.55 ft | July 15, 2017 |
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 0.51 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the Blanchard River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blanchard River below Mt. Blanchard OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River | 2.93 ft | Below flood stage | −0.05 ft | 26 mi |
| Blanchard River above Findlay OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River | 14.0 cfs | Normal | +6.2 cfs | 24 mi |
| Blanchard River near Findlay OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River | 0.98 ft | Below flood stage | +0.02 ft | 19 mi |
| Blanchard River at Gilboa OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River | 25.4 cfs | Normal | +1.1 cfs | 7 mi |
| Blanchard River near Dupont OHRiver gauge, Blanchard River | 40.6 cfs | Normal | +6.5 cfs | 10 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riley Creek below Pandora OHRiver gauge, Riley Creek | 5.2 cfs | Normal | +2.5 cfs | 4.8 mi |
| Ottawa River near Kalida OHRiver gauge, Ottawa River | 4.43 ft | Below flood stage | +0.23 ft | 10 mi |
| Auglaize River near Fort Jennings OHRiver gauge, Auglaize River | 2.01 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 12 mi |
| Little Auglaize River at Melrose OHRiver gauge, Little Auglaize River | 117 cfs | Normal | +1.0 cfs | 19 mi |
| Ottawa River at Lima OHRiver gauge, Ottawa River | 3.4 cfs | Normal | ±0 | 21 mi |
| Eagle Creek above Findlay OHRiver gauge, Eagle Creek | 3.21 ft | Below flood stage | −0.05 ft | 21 mi |
| Maumee River near Defiance OHRiver gauge, Maumee River | 2.07 ft | Below flood stage | +0.01 ft | 23 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Blanchard River at Ottawa OH?
The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 18.37 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 Blanchard River at Ottawa OH today?
On Oct 18, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT, the water level was 4.63 ft. Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Blanchard River at Ottawa OH rising or falling?
Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Blanchard River at Ottawa OH normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Blanchard River at Ottawa OH?
The highest level on record is 33.30 ft on March 25, 1913.
Is Blanchard River at Ottawa OH expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.90 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 PM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:04189260(Agency page)- Coordinates
41.01700, -84.04689(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 | 4.63 ft | 2026-10-18 15:30 | Provisional |
| Flow | 27.7 cfs | 2026-10-18 15:30 | Provisional |
Download
Embed this gauge
Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.
How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Blanchard River at Ottawa OH (usgs:04189260). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/blanchard-river-at-ottawa-oh
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