Nivelmap
EN

Blanchard River at Ottawa OH water level

River gauge, Blanchard River, Ohio, United States

Directions

Right now

Below flood stage

Water level

4.63ft Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
27.7 cfs
10 20 30 Highest onrecord 33.30 ft Minor floodstage 23.00 ft

History

History
4.74.84.9ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 19Oct 20Oct 224.74.84.9ftOct 16Oct 19Oct 22
Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

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 %.

RankLevelDate
133.30 ftMarch 25, 1913
231.40 ftAugust 23, 2007
329.75 ftJune 15, 1981
429.72 ftFebruary 11, 1959
529.29 ftFebruary 7, 2008
628.85 ftDecember 23, 2013
728.72 ftMarch 9, 2009
828.46 ftMarch 2, 2011
928.40 ftJune 2, 1997
1027.55 ftJuly 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.

18 Sun 61° 33° – Wind 13 mph
19 Mon 66° 36° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 69° 41° – Wind 8 mph
21 Wed 68° 46° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 70° 48° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 63° 46° – Wind 14 mph
24 Sat 69° 42° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 51%

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

ParameterLast valueTime (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.