Paw Paw River at Riverside water level

Name: Paw Paw River at Riverside 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, Paw Paw River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

6.98ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 10:45 AM EDT (42 min ago)

Flow: 471 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Paw Paw River at Riverside reads 6.98 ft, a normal level.

It is 4.02 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 6.65 ft and 7.10 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.80 ftFebruary 23, 2018

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 4.02 ft away.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.80 ft	February 23, 2018
2	11.24 ft	September 17, 2008
3	10.90 ft	October 4, 1986
4	10.66 ft	February 24, 1997
5	10.42 ft	February 27, 1985
6	10.18 ft	January 16, 2005
7	10.12 ft	May 3, 2019
8	10.11 ft	March 18, 1982
9	10.11 ft	March 9, 1979
10	10.02 ft	July 1, 2021

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.57 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 60° 40° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 62° 41° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 61° 49° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 60° 52° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 66° 53° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 66° 52° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 62° 57° – Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:03 AM Sunset 06:59 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 60%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Branch Black River near BangorRiver gauge, South Branch Black River	131 cfs	High	−54.0 cfs	15 mi
Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near DowagiacRiver gauge, Dowagiac River	89.8 cfs	Normal	−5.5 cfs	17 mi
Osborn Drain at Dewey Lake St near GlenwoodRiver gauge, Osborn Drain	11.4 cfs	Normal	−1.6 cfs	18 mi
Dowagiac River at SumnervilleRiver gauge, Dowagiac River	5.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	20 mi
Dowagiac Creek at Dutch Settlement Road near Dowagiac,River gauge, Dowagiac Creek	35.8 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	23 mi
South Branch Paw Paw River near Paw PawRiver gauge, South Branch Paw Paw River	81.5 cfs	Normal	−5.9 cfs	24 mi
Galien River near SawyerRiver gauge, Galien River	43.9 cfs	Normal	−3.4 cfs	24 mi
St. Joseph River at NilesRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	5.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Paw Paw River at Riverside?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 4.02 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 Paw Paw River at Riverside today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 10:45 AM EDT, the water level was 6.98 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Paw Paw River at Riverside rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Paw Paw River at Riverside normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Paw Paw River at Riverside?

The highest level on record is 11.80 ft on February 23, 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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04102500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.18643, -86.36891 (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	6.98 ft	2026-10-19 14:45	Provisional
Flow	471 cfs	2026-10-19 14:45	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/10032?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Paw Paw River at Riverside water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Paw Paw River at Riverside (usgs:04102500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/paw-paw-river-at-riverside

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