Flatrock River at Columbus water level

Name: Flatrock River at Columbus 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, Flatrock River, Indiana, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.00ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 01:30 PM EDT (49 min ago)

Flow: 116 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Flatrock River at Columbus, where the gauge shows 3.00 ft.

That puts it 0.45 ft below the median of 3.45 ft for mid-October, based on 40 years of readings. It is 8.00 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.81 ft (+0.19 ft).

It is on the way up, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 8.00 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 2.91 ft – 3.25 ft.

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

Compared with 40 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.45 ft0.45 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.50 ft – 266.34 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (40 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.81 ft+0.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.91 ft – 3.25 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.76 ft – 14.58 ft
Highest on record: 19.94 ftJune 7, 2008

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 11.00 ft.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: Diastrous flooding along the Flatrock River in the Columbus area affecting residential, business and commercial areas. US 31 and numeorous other state and local roads are closed. Flood waters more than 3 feet deep in some neighborhoods downstream of US 31. Approximate low steel for US Highway 31 bridge.
19.82 ft: During June 2008...Flatrock River at US 31 rose about 10 feet in 10 hours to cause a devastating flood to portions of the City of Columbus. US Highway 31 flooded as did Noblitt Lagoons and other neighborhoods. Water was 1 to 2 feet deep in many areas. This rise took place from Noon EDT to 10 pm EDT. The river was near bankfull before this tsunami like flood struck.
19.50 ft: Near recording flooding in progress along Flatrock River. CR 800 N remains open according to Columbus Response Plan.
19.00 ft: Approximate river height of when the flood waters came over several locations along Flatrock Dr and flooded Noblitt Lagoons and adjacent areas in June 2008. Adjacent areas included Washington St. from 17th to 12th St. and Lawton Ave. and possibly parts of Franklin and Lafayette Ave. on the east side of Washington St. At least 4 homes had first floor flooding, with possibly 50 homes or more with basement and carport flooding.
18.98 ft: US Highway 31 on the northwest side of Columbus closed by flood waters from the Flatrock River.
18.95 ft: After the river crested during the June 2008 flood...water levels in the Noblitt Lagoons fell only several inches. It took 5 or 6 days with 6 or 8 industrial pumps for the Lagoons to return to normal levels.
16.45 ft: During the January 2005 flood...river level was about 1 foot below the lowest berm along Flatrock Drive in the northeast end of Noblitt Lagoons near the junction of Washington St. and Riverside Dr. A few Noblitt Lagoons residents had wet basements.
15.00 ft: Extensive flooding in progress along the Flatrock River. Portions of Riverside Drive north of US Highway 31 are flooded. According to the Columbus Response Plan...Indianapolis Road is flooded.
12.00 ft: On April 6, 2011 after reaching 13 feet...Noblitt Park...CR 400N and Owens Bend Park remained flooded.
10.50 ft: Approaching flood stage on the Flatrock River at Columbus. CR 550 N flooded according to Columbus Flood Response Plan.
10.40 ft: After the Great Flood of June 2008...both north and south bound US Highway 31 were reopened after reaching a record stage of 19.83 feet.
9.80 ft: At this level on April 20, 2011 CR 400N to Columbus Airport was closed because of high water. Reading at St. Paul was 6.00 feet.
3.00 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: 22 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.94 ft	June 7, 2008
2	16.45 ft	January 7, 2005
3	16.22 ft	April 6, 2025
4	16.22 ft	April 6, 2025
5	15.68 ft	February 8, 2019
6	15.34 ft	December 23, 2013
7	15.25 ft	March 21, 2020
8	14.83 ft	March 5, 2026
9	14.74 ft	August 5, 2009
10	14.73 ft	April 4, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.19 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 54° 40° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 63° 37° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 69° 37° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 71° 46° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 71° 46° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 71° 47° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 73° 47° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:57 AM Sunset 07:02 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 51%

Map

Other gauges on the Flatrock River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Flatrock River near RaleighRiver gauge, Flatrock River	4.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	45 mi
Flatrock River near RushvilleRiver gauge, Flatrock River	4.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	36 mi
Flatrock River at St. PaulRiver gauge, Flatrock River	0.70 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	20 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
East Fork White River at ColumbusRiver gauge, East Fork White River	−3.15 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	2.4 mi
Haw Creek at East ColumbusRiver gauge, Haw Creek	2.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	2.6 mi
Haw Creek near CliffordRiver gauge, Haw Creek	3.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	4.4 mi
Clifty Creek near ColumbusRiver gauge, Clifty Creek	4.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	4.4 mi
Driftwood River near EdinburghRiver gauge, Driftwood River	2.46 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	8 mi
Haw Creek at HopeRiver gauge, Haw Creek	1.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Sugar Creek near EdinburghRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	4.30 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	9 mi
Clifty Creek at HartsvilleRiver gauge, Clifty Creek	0.75 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	12 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Flatrock River at Columbus compare with last year?

It is 0.19 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.81 ft.

What is flood stage for the Flatrock River at Columbus?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 8.00 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Flatrock River at Columbus in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.45 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.50 ft and 266.34 ft, based on 40 years of records.

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 Flatrock River at Columbus today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:30 PM EDT, the water level was 3.00 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Flatrock River at Columbus rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Flatrock River at Columbus normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 40 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03363900 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.23504, -85.92663 (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	3.00 ft	2026-10-18 17:30	Provisional
Flow	116 cfs	2026-10-18 17:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Flatrock River at Columbus (usgs:03363900). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/flatrock-river-at-columbus

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