Buffalo River at Ponca water level

Name: Buffalo River at Ponca 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, Buffalo River, Arkansas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.42ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:00 AM CDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 38.9 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Buffalo River at Ponca, where the gauge shows 3.42 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.42 ft – 3.48 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.61 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 43° – Wind 9 mph

18 Sun 65° 44° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 70° 49° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 73° 51° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 76° 52° – Wind 3 mph

22 Thu 80° 56° – Wind 3 mph

23 Fri 78° 57° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on the Buffalo River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Buffalo River near BoxleyRiver gauge, Buffalo River	2.7 cfs	Normal	−1.2 cfs	6 mi
Buffalo River at PruittRiver gauge, Buffalo River	21.8 cfs	Normal	−5.5 cfs	12 mi
Buffalo River near St. JoeRiver gauge, Buffalo River	3.19 ft	Below flood stage	+0.33 ft	34 mi
Buffalo River near HarrietRiver gauge, Buffalo River	66.6 cfs	Low	+8.0 cfs	44 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Richland Creek near Witts SpringRiver gauge, Richland Creek	0.5 cfs	Low	−0.2 cfs	28 mi
Yocum Creek near Oak GroveRiver gauge, Yocum Creek	15.0 cfs	Normal	−1.4 cfs	30 mi
War Eagle Creek near HindsvilleRiver gauge, War Eagle Creek	38.1 cfs	Normal	+1.0 cfs	30 mi
Kings River near BerryvilleRiver gauge, Kings River	3.03 ft	Normal	+0.13 ft	32 mi
Richland Creek near GoshenRiver gauge, Richland Creek	0.5 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	35 mi
Bear Creek near Silver HillRiver gauge, Bear Creek	3.8 cfs	Low	+0.3 cfs	36 mi
Big Piney Creek at Highway 164 near DoverRiver gauge, Big Piney Creek	0.24 ft	Low	±0	37 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 Buffalo River at Ponca today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:00 AM CDT, the water level was 3.42 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Buffalo River at Ponca rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Buffalo River at Ponca normal?

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

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:07055660 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.02250, -93.35472 (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	3.42 ft	2026-10-18 14:00	Provisional
Flow	38.9 cfs	2026-10-18 14:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buffalo River at Ponca (usgs:07055660). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/arkansas/buffalo-river-at-ponca

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