Big Black River near Bentonia water level

Name: Big Black River near Bentonia 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

Low for mid-October

Water level

4.05ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 97.6 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 4.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 07:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 08:49 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Big Black River near Bentonia is running below normal at 4.05 ft.

That puts it 1.30 ft below the median of 5.35 ft for mid-October, based on 29 years of readings. It is 17.95 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 12.65 ft (−8.60 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 07:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 3.98 ft and 4.45 ft.

Compared with 29 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.35 ft1.30 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.94 ft – 13.45 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (29 years of records)
Same day last year: 12.65 ft−8.60 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.98 ft – 4.45 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.04 ft – 25.08 ft
Highest on record: 32.48 ftMay 23, 1983
Forecast peak: 4.00 ftTuesday, October 20 at 07:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Big Black River near Bentonia

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 22.00 ft, 17.95 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

43.00 ft: River reaches gage house along Highway 49.
40.00 ft: Water is near the road surface on the Highway 49 bridge over the Big Black River.
37.50 ft: Water is approaching the underclearance of the Highway 49 bridge.
32.47 ft: The river is at the flood of record.
29.00 ft: Agricultural land along the river is devastated by flood waters.
28.00 ft: Devastating flooding of agricultural land begins to occur.
26.50 ft: Flooding of agricultural land has more than doubled in the last 1.5 feet rise.
25.00 ft: Extensive flooding of agricultural land is occurring.
23.50 ft: Agricultural land near the river begins to flood.
22.00 ft: Low lying woodland areas along the river begins to flood.
21.00 ft: Minor low land flooding occurs along the river.
4.05 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	32.48 ft	May 23, 1983
2	31.81 ft	April 15, 1979
3	31.64 ft	March 30, 1951
4	31.35 ft	December 19, 1961
5	31.20 ft	February 13, 2020
6	30.80 ft	May 2, 1958
7	29.76 ft	April 7, 2000
8	29.66 ft	May 2, 1991
9	29.50 ft	March 20, 1973
10	29.47 ft	April 16, 2019

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 75° 43° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 79° 44° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 83° 49° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 84° 54° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 84° 55° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 81° 55° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 79° 54° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:10 AM Sunset 06:24 PM Daylight 11 hr, 14 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Big Black River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Black River at WestRiver gauge, Big Black River	0.79 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	53 mi
Big Black River near BovinaRiver gauge, Big Black River	6.39 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	26 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hanging Moss Creek near JacksonRiver gauge, Hanging Moss Creek	6.80 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	21 mi
Eubanks Creek at Eagle Avenue at JacksonRiver gauge, Eubanks Creek	6.04 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	21 mi
Ross Barnett Reservoir near JacksonReservoir, Ross Barnett Reservoir	296.27 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	22 mi
Pearl River at Ross Barnett ReservoirRiver gauge, Pearl River	250.62 ft	Very low	±0	22 mi
Pearl River at Highway 25 at JacksonRiver gauge, Pearl River	16.25 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	23 mi
Pearl River at JacksonRiver gauge, Pearl River	3.11 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	25 mi
Yazoo River at RedwoodRiver gauge, Yazoo River	63.11 ft	Normal	−0.31 ft	28 mi
Pelahatchie Creek at State Highway 25 near FanninRiver gauge, Pelahatchie Creek	295.71 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Big Black River near Bentonia compare with last year?

It is 8.60 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 12.65 ft.

What is flood stage for the Big Black River near Bentonia?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 17.95 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Big Black River near Bentonia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.35 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.94 ft and 13.45 ft, based on 29 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 near Bentonia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:00 AM CDT, the water level was 4.05 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Black River near Bentonia rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Big Black River near Bentonia normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 29 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:07289730 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.60306, -90.36389 (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	4.05 ft	2026-10-20 15:00	Provisional
Flow	97.6 cfs	2026-10-20 15:00	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/9558?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Big Black River near Bentonia water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Black River near Bentonia (usgs:07289730). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/mississippi/big-black-river-near-bentonia

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