Leaf River near McLain water level

Name: Leaf River near McLain 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, Leaf River, Mississippi, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.65ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 10:15 PM CDT (36 min ago)

Flow: 684 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 rise to 2.80 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 07:57 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 2.65 ft, the Leaf River near McLain is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.02 ft below the median of 3.67 ft for mid-October, based on 25 years of readings. It is 15.35 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.74 ft (−0.09 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.80 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.55 ft and 3.16 ft.

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.67 ft1.02 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.37 ft – 8.55 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.74 ft−0.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.55 ft – 3.16 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.62 ft – 24.53 ft
Highest on record: 31.80 ftApril 1, 1900
Forecast peak: 2.80 ftSunday, October 18 at 07:00 PM

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 18.00 ft, still 15.35 ft away.

What happens at each level

33.00 ft: USGS 100 year flood.
30.50 ft: USGS 50 year flood.
28.00 ft: Water will back up McSwain Branch and some residences will become flooded.
25.00 ft: Residences in West McClain begin to flood.
24.00 ft: Some county roads in the area will become flooded.
18.00 ft: Considerable flooding of agricultural and lowlands near the river.
2.65 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: 26 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	31.80 ft	April 1, 1900
2	31.64 ft	February 26, 1961
3	30.38 ft	April 18, 1974
4	29.87 ft	March 15, 2016
5	28.69 ft	December 31, 2018
6	28.16 ft	April 17, 1980
7	27.76 ft	March 24, 1943
8	27.34 ft	April 10, 1983
9	27.21 ft	February 14, 2013
10	26.39 ft	May 17, 1990

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 74° 46° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 76° 46° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 79° 50° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 82° 51° – Wind 3 mph

22 Thu 83° 54° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 83° 53° – Wind 4 mph

24 Sat 79° 53° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:01 AM Sunset 06:20 PM Daylight 11 hr, 19 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the Leaf River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Leaf River near CollinsRiver gauge, Leaf River	4.49 ft	Normal	±0	54 mi
Leaf River at HattiesburgRiver gauge, Leaf River	1.96 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	32 mi
Leaf River near New AugustaRiver gauge, Leaf River	2.32 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	16 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pascagoula River at MerrillRiver gauge, Pascagoula River	2.06 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	10 mi
Cypress Creek near JaniceRiver gauge, Cypress Creek	5.57 ft	Low	±0	14 mi
Chickasawhay River at LeakesvilleRiver gauge, Chickasawhay River	7.18 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	16 mi
Black Creek near BrooklynRiver gauge, Black Creek	3.69 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	24 mi
Red Creek at VestryRiver gauge, Red Creek	4.42 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Escatawpa River near WilmerRiver gauge, Escatawpa River	7.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	29 mi
Big Creek at County Road 63 near WilmerRiver gauge, Big Creek	1.50 ft	Low	±0	33 mi
Bouie River at Glendale Avenue at HattiesburgRiver gauge, Bouie River	7.40 ft	Very low	±0	34 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Leaf River near McLain compare with last year?

It is 0.09 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.74 ft.

What is flood stage for the Leaf River near McLain?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 15.35 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Leaf River near McLain in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.67 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.37 ft and 8.55 ft, based on 25 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 Leaf River near McLain today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 10:15 PM CDT, the water level was 2.65 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Leaf River near McLain rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Leaf River near McLain normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 25 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:02475000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 31.10741, -88.80832 (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	2.65 ft	2026-10-19 03:15	Provisional
Flow	684 cfs	2026-10-19 03:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Leaf River near McLain (usgs:02475000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/mississippi/leaf-river-near-mclain

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