James River near Springfield water level

Name: James River near Springfield 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, James River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.89ft Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 14.9 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at James River near Springfield, where the gauge shows 3.89 ft.

It is 8.11 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.15 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.89 ft – 4.30 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: 22.20 ftJune 19, 2015

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: River levels reach the bottom of the bridge deck of the bridge on Campbell Avenue, downstream from the gage site.
21.55 ft: Approximate level of the one percent chance flood.
20.92 ft: This is the level reached on April 30, 2017.
20.00 ft: Flood waters impact the north-bound Highway 65 off-ramp to James River Freeway (Highway 60).
17.28 ft: Hazardous floating conditions at Lake Springfield Dam.
15.00 ft: Flood waters cover Kisner Road and South Farm Road 193 near the gage site.
12.00 ft: Flood waters cover portions of South Farm Road 193 three tenths of a mile upstream from the gage on the west side of the river.
8.00 ft: River levels approach portions of South Farm Road 193 upstream from the gage site.
3.89 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.20 ft	June 19, 2015
2	20.90 ft	April 30, 2017
3	19.45 ft	July 2, 2015
4	19.45 ft	September 25, 1993
5	19.32 ft	March 18, 2008
6	18.92 ft	December 27, 2015
7	18.85 ft	April 26, 2011
8	18.71 ft	March 24, 2023
9	18.53 ft	June 14, 2008
10	18.29 ft	May 5, 2022

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 4.39 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 40° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 67° 42° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 71° 41° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 72° 51° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 75° 52° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 79° 54° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 79° 56° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the James River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
James River near BoazRiver gauge, James River	2.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	13 mi
James River at GalenaRiver gauge, James River	3.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pearson Creek near SpringfieldRiver gauge, Pearson Creek	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	2.0 mi
Wilson Creek at SpringfieldRiver gauge, Wilson Creek	2.41 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	7 mi
South Fork Dry Sac River near SpringfieldRiver gauge, South Fork Dry Sac River	0.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	8 mi
South Creek near SpringfieldRiver gauge, South Creek	−1.12 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Wilson Creek near SpringfieldRiver gauge, Wilson Creek	0.40 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Wilson Creek near BrooklineRiver gauge, Wilson Creek	2.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	9 mi
Finley Creek below RiverdaleRiver gauge, Finley Creek	0.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	14 mi
Little Sac River near MorrisvilleRiver gauge, Little Sac River	1.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the James River near Springfield?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 8.11 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 James River near Springfield today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:00 PM CDT, the water level was 3.89 ft. Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is James River near Springfield rising or falling?

Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of James River near Springfield normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at James River near Springfield?

The highest level on record is 22.20 ft on June 19, 2015.

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:07050700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.14997, -93.20339 (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	3.89 ft	2026-10-18 22:00	Provisional
Flow	14.9 cfs	2026-10-18 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: James River near Springfield (usgs:07050700). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/james-river-near-springfield

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