Big Black River at West water level

Name: Big Black River at West 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, Big Black River, Mississippi, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.83ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:45 AM CDT (36 min ago)

Flow: 18.8 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.80 ft by Monday, October 19 at 01:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 07:46 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 0.83 ft, the Big Black River at West is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.74 ft below the median of 2.57 ft for mid-October, based on 35 years of readings. It is 14.17 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.88 ft (−2.05 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.80 ft by Monday, October 19 at 01:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.80 ft and 1.13 ft.

Compared with 35 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.57 ft1.74 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.62 ft – 8.80 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (35 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.88 ft−2.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.80 ft – 1.13 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.84 ft – 17.96 ft
Highest on record: 26.08 ftMay 21, 1983
Forecast peak: 0.90 ftMonday, October 19 at 07:00 AM

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 15.00 ft, still 14.17 ft away.

What happens at each level

29.50 ft: Water is across the surface of State Highway 19 bridge.
26.00 ft: Water reaches the underclearence of the State Highway 19 bridge.
21.00 ft: Extensive flooding of agricultural land.
19.00 ft: Thousands of acres of agricultural land are under water.
17.00 ft: Several thousand acres of agricultural and lowland become inundated.
15.00 ft: Lowlands and agricultural land near the river begin to flood.
0.83 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: 9 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.08 ft	May 21, 1983
2	26.00 ft	December 1, 1926
3	26.00 ft	May 1, 1930
4	25.80 ft	April 4, 2000
5	25.41 ft	January 13, 2020
6	25.11 ft	March 16, 1973
7	24.76 ft	April 23, 1995
8	24.48 ft	December 5, 1983
9	24.39 ft	April 30, 1991
10	24.27 ft	April 13, 1979

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 74° 40° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 74° 43° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 79° 45° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 81° 52° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 82° 53° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 83° 54° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 79° 53° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:07 AM Sunset 06:22 PM Daylight 11 hr, 15 min First quarter 57%

Map

Other gauges on the Big Black River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Black River near BentoniaRiver gauge, Big Black River	4.04 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	53 mi
Big Black River near BovinaRiver gauge, Big Black River	6.42 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	79 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yockanookany River near KosciuskoRiver gauge, Yockanookany River	4.44 ft	Normal	±0	16 mi
Lobutcha Creek at RenfroeRiver gauge, Lobutcha Creek	10.15 ft	Normal	±0	30 mi
Yockanookany River near OfahomaRiver gauge, Yockanookany River	4.59 ft	Low	±0	34 mi
Pearl River near CarthageRiver gauge, Pearl River	3.06 ft	Low	±0	37 mi
Pearl River near LenaRiver gauge, Pearl River	4.30 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	37 mi
Pearl River at EdinburgRiver gauge, Pearl River	1.74 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	37 mi
Batupan Bogue at GrenadaRiver gauge, Batupan Bogue	7.1 cfs	Very low	−1.4 cfs	40 mi
Tallahatchie River at MoneyRiver gauge, Tallahatchie River	15.80 ft	Low	−0.32 ft	41 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Big Black River at West compare with last year?

It is 2.05 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.88 ft.

What is flood stage for the Big Black River at West?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 14.17 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Big Black River at West in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.57 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.62 ft and 8.80 ft, based on 35 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 Big Black River at West today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:45 AM CDT, the water level was 0.83 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Black River at West rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Big Black River at West normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 35 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:07289350 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.19444, -89.77111 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	0.83 ft	2026-10-19 08:45	Provisional
Flow	18.8 cfs	2026-10-19 08:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Black River at West (usgs:07289350). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/mississippi/big-black-river-at-west

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