Choctawhatchee River near Bruce water level

Name: Choctawhatchee River near Bruce 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, Choctawhatchee River, Florida, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

13.18ft Down 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:45 AM EDT (34 min ago)

Flow: 16,500 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 13.30 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 02:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 08:50 PM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Choctawhatchee River near Bruce shows 13.18 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 7.96 ft above the median of 5.22 ft for mid-October, based on 62 years of readings. It is 0.82 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.62 ft (+8.56 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.22 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 13.30 ft by Sunday, October 18 at 02:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.76 ft and 13.42 ft.

Compared with 62 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.22 ft7.96 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.37 ft – 9.39 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (62 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.62 ft+8.56 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.76 ft – 13.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.43 ft – 14.86 ft
Highest on record: 26.76 ftJuly 11, 1994
Forecast peak: 13.30 ftSunday, October 18 at 02:00 AM

High water at Choctawhatchee River near Bruce

The National Weather Service splits flooding into minor, moderate and major flood stage, each tied to what starts to go under water at this particular gauge. Minor flooding usually means low roads, parks and farmland; major flooding reaches homes and businesses.

Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.

What happens at each level

34.00 ft: Water reaches the road surface of the SR-20 bridge over the Choctawhatchee River.
31.00 ft: Portions of SR-20 flood west of the Choctawhatchee River bridge.
29.00 ft: Water reaches the base of the SR-20 bridge over the Choctawhatchee River. The road is subject to closure above this level.
27.00 ft: Nearly all structures between Black Creek Road and the west bank of the Choctawhatchee River are flooded. Flooding begins to affect more areas south of Shell Landing Road in Washington County.
24.00 ft: Significant flooding affects numerous structures throughout the lower Choctawhatchee River Basin.
22.00 ft: Structures along Holmes Creek from Millers Ferry Road to the confluence with the Choctawhatchee River in Washington County are prone to flooding above this level.
21.00 ft: In Walton County, flooding impacts multiple structures south of Black Creek Road between Rooks Bluff Road and BH Reddick Road. Flooding expands just north of SR-20 off Howell Bluff Road.
20.00 ft: In Walton County, multiple structures not elevated on BH Reddick Road are flooded. In Washington County, structures at the end of Choctaw Road begin to flood. Flooding begins at Boynton Cutoff Road. Roads near Holmes Creek south of Millers Ferry Road southward to the confluence with the Choctawhatchee River are prone to flooding above this level. Structures on Backwoods Road also begin to flood.
19.00 ft: In Walton County, several structures not elevated on BH Reddick Road flood. Access into the area is severely restricted above this level.
18.00 ft: In Walton County, additional structures on Choctawhatchee River Road and Big Cedar Road not elevated are flooded. A few structures on McCewen Street and Carnation Road begin to flood. Flooding begins just north of SR-20 off Howell Bluff Road affecting a few residences.
17.00 ft: In Walton County, the boat ramp at Big Cedar Road is inaccessible at this level. The boat ramp at the end of McCewen Street floods at this level. Structures not elevated on Choctawhatchee River Road and Big Cedar Road begin to flood.
16.00 ft: Portions of Big Cedar, Cowford, and Choctawhatchee River Roads in Walton County are impassible above this level. Structures in the area not elevated begin flooding. Portions of Choctaw Road in Washington County begin to flood along with Strickland Road in the far southwestern portion of the county.
13.18 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: 32 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.76 ft	July 11, 1994
2	22.88 ft	March 23, 1990
3	22.61 ft	March 13, 1998
4	21.48 ft	April 15, 1975
5	20.62 ft	August 20, 1939
6	20.52 ft	April 2, 2009
7	19.98 ft	September 6, 1937
8	19.94 ft	April 9, 1960
9	19.89 ft	January 1, 2016
10	19.85 ft	September 20, 2020

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:48 AM Sunset 07:10 PM Daylight 11 hr, 22 min First quarter 49%

Map

Other gauges on the Choctawhatchee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Choctawhatchee River near NewtonRiver gauge, Choctawhatchee River	4.04 ft	Normal	−0.11 ft	64 mi
Choctawhatchee River near BellwoodRiver gauge, Choctawhatchee River	6.00 ft	Normal	−0.34 ft	49 mi
Choctawhatchee River near Geneva, AlabamaRiver gauge, Choctawhatchee River	5.02 ft	Normal	−1.46 ft	41 mi
Choctawhatchee River near PittmanRiver gauge, Choctawhatchee River	11.03 ft	High	−2.83 ft	35 mi
Choctawhatchee River at CaryvilleRiver gauge, Choctawhatchee River	10.03 ft	Very high	−1.39 ft	23 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bruce Creek at Sh 81 near RedbayRiver gauge, Bruce Creek	13.37 ft	High	−0.43 ft	12 mi
Holmes Creek at VernonRiver gauge, Holmes Creek	12.22 ft	Normal	−0.28 ft	16 mi
Econfina Creek near BennettRiver gauge, Econfina Creek	6.89 ft	Very high	−0.07 ft	21 mi
Shoal River near Mossy HeadRiver gauge, Shoal River	8.21 ft	Very high	−0.28 ft	34 mi
Shoal River near CrestviewRiver gauge, Shoal River	6.15 ft	Very high	−0.18 ft	43 mi
Chipola River at MariannaRiver gauge, Chipola River	6.32 ft	Normal	−0.39 ft	46 mi
Yellow River near Oak GroveRiver gauge, Yellow River	81.32 ft	Normal	−0.35 ft	51 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Choctawhatchee River near Bruce compare with last year?

It is 8.56 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.62 ft.

What is flood stage for the Choctawhatchee River near Bruce?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 0.82 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Choctawhatchee River near Bruce in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.22 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.37 ft and 9.39 ft, based on 62 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 Choctawhatchee River near Bruce today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:45 AM EDT, the water level was 13.18 ft. Down 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Choctawhatchee River near Bruce rising or falling?

Down 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 3.87 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Choctawhatchee River near Bruce normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 62 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:02366500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.45103, -85.89827 (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	13.18 ft	2026-10-18 10:45	Provisional
Flow	16,500 cfs	2026-10-18 10:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Choctawhatchee River near Bruce (usgs:02366500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/florida/choctawhatchee-river-near-bruce

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