Prairie River near Merrill water level

Name: Prairie River near Merrill 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, Prairie River, Wisconsin, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.09ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT (57 min ago)

Flow: 84.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Prairie River near Merrill is at 2.09 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.91 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.09 ft and 2.28 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: 9.45 ftAugust 31, 1941

Floating and fishing near Prairie River near Merrill

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 7.00 ft, 4.91 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: Several feet of water may be covering locations between 6th Street and 4th Street along the river in Merrill.
9.00 ft: Several feet of floodwaters cover a river walkway. The river current is fast.
7.00 ft: Widespread flooding of adjacent wooded lowland and agricultural land. A river walkway is flooded.
6.00 ft: Floodwaters cover parts of a river walkway in Merrill.
4.50 ft: There is minor flooding of wooded lowland.
2.09 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.45 ft	August 31, 1941
2	7.82 ft	April 14, 2023
3	7.62 ft	April 12, 2011
4	7.60 ft	August 21, 1926
5	7.54 ft	April 20, 1996
6	7.28 ft	April 18, 2019
7	7.28 ft	April 6, 1997
8	7.10 ft	September 28, 1959
9	7.04 ft	April 14, 2022
10	7.03 ft	June 17, 1979

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:22 AM Sunset 06:06 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min First quarter 63%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wisconsin River at MerrillRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	3.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.44 ft	4.3 mi
Spirit River at Spirit FallsRiver gauge, Spirit River	1.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	22 mi
Big Rib River at Rib FallsRiver gauge, Big Rib River	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.37 ft	22 mi
Eau Claire River at KellyRiver gauge, Eau Claire River	0.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	22 mi
Wisconsin River at RothschildRiver gauge, Wisconsin River	13.26 ft	Below flood stage	+0.30 ft	24 mi
Discovery Farms Waterway Mt1 near AthensRiver gauge, Discovery Farms Waterway Mt1	0.00 ft	No reference yet	±0	26 mi
Discovery Farms Waterway Ao3 near AntigoRiver gauge, Discovery Farms Waterway Ao3	0.00 ft	No reference yet	±0	28 mi
Big Eau Pleine River at StratfordRiver gauge, Big Eau Pleine River	2.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	35 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Prairie River near Merrill?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 4.91 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 Prairie River near Merrill today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT, the water level was 2.09 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Prairie River near Merrill rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Prairie River near Merrill normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Prairie River near Merrill?

The highest level on record is 9.45 ft on August 31, 1941.

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:05394500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.23583, -89.64972 (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	2.09 ft	2026-10-19 23:15	Provisional
Flow	84.0 cfs	2026-10-19 23:15	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/13807?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Prairie River near Merrill water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Prairie River near Merrill (usgs:05394500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wisconsin/prairie-river-near-merrill

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