Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near Dowagiac water level

Name: Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near Dowagiac 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, Dowagiac River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

3.02ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 85.5 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near Dowagiac, where the gauge shows 3.02 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.02 ft – 3.35 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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 8.73 ftFebruary 21, 2018

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	8.73 ft	February 21, 2018
2	8.20 ft	June 16, 2015
3	7.67 ft	August 16, 2016
4	7.49 ft	January 11, 2020
5	7.29 ft	May 1, 2019
6	7.23 ft	April 19, 2013
7	7.11 ft	March 31, 2017
8	6.82 ft	July 1, 2014
9	5.90 ft	June 27, 2021

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 69° 38° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 69° 44° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 69° 45° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 69° 49° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 70° 49° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 71° 51° – Wind 10 mph

26 Mon 69° 49° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:04 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the Dowagiac River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Dowagiac River at SumnervilleRiver gauge, Dowagiac River	5.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Osborn Drain at Dewey Lake St near GlenwoodRiver gauge, Osborn Drain	10.6 cfs	Normal	−1.0 cfs	2.8 mi
Dowagiac Creek at Dutch Settlement Road near Dowagiac,River gauge, Dowagiac Creek	34.5 cfs	Low	−0.6 cfs	6.2 mi
St. Joseph River at NilesRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	5.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.21 ft	16 mi
South Branch Paw Paw River near Paw PawRiver gauge, South Branch Paw Paw River	73.0 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	16 mi
Paw Paw River at RiversideRiver gauge, Paw Paw River	6.98 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	17 mi
Judy Creek near South BendRiver gauge, Judy Creek	12.4 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	22 mi
St. Joseph River at South BendRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	0.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	23 mi
South Branch Black River near BangorRiver gauge, South Branch Black River	94.1 cfs	Normal	−18.9 cfs	23 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 Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near Dowagiac today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM EDT, the water level was 3.02 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near Dowagiac rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near Dowagiac normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near Dowagiac?

The highest level on record is 8.73 ft on February 21, 2018.

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:04101535 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.02778, -86.10750 (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	3.02 ft	2026-10-21 05:15	Provisional
Flow	85.5 cfs	2026-10-21 05:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/10582?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near Dowagiac water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near Dowagiac (usgs:04101535). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/dowagiac-river-at-state-highway-51-near-dowagiac

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