Lower River Rouge at Dearborn water level

Name: Lower River Rouge at Dearborn 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, Lower River Rouge, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.26ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:00 AM EDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 42.4 cfs
Water temperature: 54 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Lower River Rouge at Dearborn reads 3.26 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.74 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.25 ft and 3.63 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 54 °F.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 13.13 ftAugust 25, 2023

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 11.00 ft, still 7.74 ft away.

What happens at each level

14.40 ft: Considerable damage occurs to residential areas. Wayne Park will be up to 10 feet under water.
13.60 ft: Brady Street in Dearborn will flood. Many bridges become impassable.
12.40 ft: Property damage will mainly be limited to park buildings and roads. Several homes may become isolated by flood waters. Many roads will closed due to flooding. Some bridges over the river in this area may be closed to traffic due to water reaching the bottom. U.S. Highway 12 (Michigan Avenue) may flood in spots.
11.00 ft: The flood plain is flooded from Inkster to Dearborn. Ford Field Park and the parking lot along Monroe Street also flood.
9.00 ft: Ther river reaches bankfull in many locations.
3.26 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.13 ft	August 25, 2023
2	13.10 ft	June 27, 2021
3	11.18 ft	February 21, 2018
4	11.06 ft	January 13, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 66° 39° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 66° 42° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 67° 51° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 70° 53° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 65° 54° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 66° 53° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 71° 54° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Lower River Rouge

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lower River Rouge at WayneRiver gauge, Lower River Rouge	3.13 ft	No reference yet	+0.05 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ecorse River at Dearborn HeightsRiver gauge, Ecorse River	1.0 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	3.3 mi
Middle River Rouge near Garden CityRiver gauge, Middle River Rouge	2.99 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	4.1 mi
River Rouge at DetroitRiver gauge, River Rouge	4.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	4.5 mi
Detroit River at Fort Wayne at DetroitRiver gauge, Detroit River	573.32 ft	Normal	±0	8 mi
River Rouge at SouthfieldRiver gauge, River Rouge	4.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Frank and Poet Drain at King Road at TrentonRiver gauge, Frank and Poet Drain	1.5 cfs	Low	−0.6 cfs	11 mi
Turkey Creek at South WindsorRiver gauge, Turkey Creek	4.03 m	Very low	−0.01 m	19 km
Upper River Rouge at FarmingtonRiver gauge, Upper River Rouge	6.7 cfs	Normal	±0	12 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Lower River Rouge at Dearborn?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.74 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 Lower River Rouge at Dearborn today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:00 AM EDT, the water level was 3.26 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lower River Rouge at Dearborn rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Lower River Rouge at Dearborn normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lower River Rouge at Dearborn?

The highest level on record is 13.13 ft on August 25, 2023.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04168400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.30837, -83.25271 (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	3.26 ft	2026-10-19 10:00	Provisional
Flow	42.4 cfs	2026-10-19 10:00	Provisional
Water temperature	54 °F	2026-10-19 10:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lower River Rouge at Dearborn (usgs:04168400). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/lower-river-rouge-at-dearborn

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