Ohio River at Olmsted water level

Name: Ohio River at Olmsted 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, Ohio River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

20.58ft Down 0.55 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 125,000 cfs
Water temperature: 70 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Ohio River at Olmsted is at 20.58 ft, in the normal range.

It is 15.42 ft below the flood stage of 36.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.55 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 20.58 ft and 23.49 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 70 °F.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 48.20 ftFebruary 21, 2020

Floating and fishing near Ohio River at Olmsted

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

Flood stage here is 36.00 ft, 15.42 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 65° 36° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 70° 42° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 75° 49° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 77° 50° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 79° 51° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 80° 53° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 79° 52° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:07 AM Sunset 06:17 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Ohio River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ohio River at Cannelton Dam at CanneltonRiver gauge, Ohio River	15.10 ft	High	+0.36 ft	138 mi
Ohio River at Riverport at OwensboroRiver gauge, Ohio River	20.11 ft	No reference yet	+0.22 ft	113 mi
Ohio River at Newburgh Lock and DamRiver gauge, Ohio River	17.76 ft	High	+0.29 ft	106 mi
Ohio River at EvansvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.75 ft	High	+0.27 ft	98 mi
Ohio River at HendersonRiver gauge, Ohio River	14.50 ft	Normal	+0.21 ft	93 mi
Ohio River at Uniontown DamRiver gauge, Ohio River	12.98 ft	Low	+0.23 ft	72 mi
Ohio River at Old ShawneetownRiver gauge, Ohio River	17.17 ft	High	−0.11 ft	62 mi
Ohio River at Dam 51 at GolcondaRiver gauge, Ohio River	29.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.40 ft	34 mi
Ohio River at Smithland Dam, SmithlandRiver gauge, Ohio River	12.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.50 ft	35 mi
Ohio River at PaducahRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.23 ft	Normal	+0.07 ft	26 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cache River at FormanRiver gauge, Cache River	8.26 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	13 mi
Mayfield Creek at LovelacevilleRiver gauge, Mayfield Creek	38.5 cfs	Very high	−0.7 cfs	20 mi
Massac Creek near PaducahRiver gauge, Massac Creek	0.6 cfs	Low	−0.2 cfs	21 mi
Mississippi River at ThebesRiver gauge, Mississippi River	17.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.78 ft	22 mi
Mississippi River at Cape GirardeauRiver gauge, Mississippi River	17.87 ft	Below flood stage	−0.82 ft	27 mi
Lusk Creek near EddyvilleRiver gauge, Lusk Creek	1.88 ft	Low	±0	35 mi
South Fork Saline River near Carrier MillsRiver gauge, South Fork Saline River	2.20 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Ohio River at Olmsted?

The official flood stage is 36.00 ft. The level is currently 15.42 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 Ohio River at Olmsted today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT, the water level was 20.58 ft. Down 0.55 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Ohio River at Olmsted rising or falling?

Down 0.55 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Ohio River at Olmsted normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Ohio River at Olmsted?

The highest level on record is 48.20 ft on February 21, 2020.

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:03612600 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.17922, -89.05840 (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	20.58 ft	2026-10-18 20:00	Provisional
Flow	125,000 cfs	2026-10-18 20:00	Provisional
Water temperature	70 °F	2026-10-18 20:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ohio River at Olmsted (usgs:03612600). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/ohio-river-at-olmsted

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