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SwedenOuachita River at West Monroe water level
River gauge, Ouachita River, Louisiana, United States
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
- Flow
- 530 cfs
History
20252026
The forecast expects the river to rise to 18.40 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 07:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 08:44 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
Low water at Ouachita River at West Monroe: the gauge reads 18.18 ft, far below normal for mid-October.
The median for mid-October is 21.41 ft, based on 18 years of readings, so the river stage is 3.23 ft below typical. It is 21.82 ft below the flood stage of 40.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 18.19 ft, a difference of −0.01 ft.
It is still going down, by 0.22 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 18.40 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 07:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 18.16 ft – 18.42 ft.
Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 21.41 ft3.23 ft below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 20.30 ft – 27.70 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 18.19 ft−0.01 ft
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 18.16 ft – 18.42 ft
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 18.07 ft – 22.40 ft
- Highest on record
- 48.60 ftMay 4, 1927
- Forecast peak
- 18.40 ftTuesday, October 20 at 07:00 AM
Paddling and fishing conditions
At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.
For reference, flood stage is 40.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 54.40 ft
- Catastrophic flooding occurrs with water overtopping numerous levees in the Monroe area. High water laps at the bottom of the U.S. Highway 80 bridge.
- 49.00 ft
- Major flooding between the levees occurs and the floodwall gap must be closed on the East Monroe side of the river.
- 47.50 ft
- Water floods the underclearance of the Desiard Street bridge. Major lowland flooding occurs between the levee systems.
- 45.00 ft
- The Prairon Bayou recreational area floods and closes. Lowland flooding becomes extensive at this stage between levees.
- 43.00 ft
- The Bawcomville and Moon Lake recreational areas flood and close.
- 40.00 ft
- Minor backwater flooding affects small bayous that drain into the Ouachita River along with minor lowland flooding between levee systems.
- 36.00 ft
- Both the Forsythe and Lazarre recreational areas flood and close with very minor lowland flooding immediately next to the river.
- 34.00 ft
- The Forsythe Recreational Area closes, otherwise no other flooding occurs in the Monroe area until a stage of 36 feet.
- 18.18 ft
- Right now
Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48.60 ft | May 4, 1927 |
| 2 | 47.80 ft | November 10, 2009 |
| 3 | 47.61 ft | March 1, 1950 |
| 4 | 47.40 ft | March 16, 2018 |
| 5 | 47.20 ft | January 5, 1983 |
| 6 | 46.70 ft | June 3, 1884 |
| 7 | 46.60 ft | April 22, 1912 |
| 8 | 46.30 ft | May 30, 1953 |
| 9 | 45.89 ft | March 25, 2016 |
| 10 | 45.88 ft | May 23, 2019 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Ouachita River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita River at Remmel Dam above Jones MillRiver gauge, Ouachita River | 2.83 ft | Normal | +0.21 ft | 140 mi |
| Ouachita River at CamdenRiver gauge, Ouachita River | 5.82 ft | Below flood stage | −0.23 ft | 86 mi |
| Ouachita River at Felsenthal L&D (lower)River gauge, Ouachita River | 49.43 ft | Very low | −0.41 ft | 38 mi |
| Ouachita River at SterlingtonRiver gauge, Ouachita River | 49.97 ft | Very low | −0.21 ft | 14 mi |
| Ouachita River at Hwy 8 at HarrisonburgRiver gauge, Ouachita River | 15.18 ft | No reference yet | +0.02 ft | 54 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayou DeSiard at NE Drive at MonroeRiver gauge, Bayou DeSiard | 7.04 ft | Very low | −0.12 ft | 3.4 mi |
| Chauvin Bayou near MonroeRiver gauge, Chauvin Bayou | 31.12 ft | Normal | ±0 | 4.8 mi |
| Youngs Bayou near MonroeRiver gauge, Youngs Bayou | 0.96 ft | Very low | −0.05 ft | 5.0 mi |
| Bayou Lafourche near AltoRiver gauge, Bayou Lafourche | 35.23 ft | Normal | +0.06 ft | 10 mi |
| Bayou Lafourche near Crew LakeRiver gauge, Bayou Lafourche | −0.23 ft | Low | +0.04 ft | 12 mi |
| Boeuf River near GirardRiver gauge, Boeuf River | 6.19 ft | Normal | +0.04 ft | 19 mi |
| Bayou Darbonne Lake at Dam near DownsvilleReservoir, Bayou Darbonne Lake | 78.84 ft | Below flood stage | +0.01 ft | 20 mi |
| Beaucoup Creek near Cotton PlantRiver gauge, Beaucoup Creek | 1.93 ft | Low | −0.03 ft | 29 mi |
Questions and answers
Is the Ouachita River at West Monroe higher than last year?
No, it is 0.01 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 18.19 ft.
What is flood stage for the Ouachita River at West Monroe?
The official flood stage is 40.00 ft. The level is currently 21.82 ft below it.
What is a normal level for the Ouachita River at West Monroe in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 21.41 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 20.30 ft and 27.70 ft, based on 18 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 Ouachita River at West Monroe today?
On Oct 20, 2026, 08:00 AM CDT, the water level was 18.18 ft. Down 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Ouachita River at West Monroe rising or falling?
Down 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.15 ft over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Ouachita River at West Monroe normal?
Very low for mid-October. Compared with 18 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:07367005(Agency page)- Coordinates
32.50028, -92.11972(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 | 18.18 ft | 2026-10-20 13:00 | Provisional |
| Flow | 530 cfs | 2026-10-20 13:00 | Provisional |
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Ouachita River at West Monroe (usgs:07367005). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/louisiana/ouachita-river-at-west-monroe
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