Dowagiac River at Sumnerville water level

Name: Dowagiac River at Sumnerville 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, Dowagiac River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.69ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT (49 min ago)

Flow: 280 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Dowagiac River at Sumnerville, where the gauge shows 5.69 ft.

It is 2.31 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.69 ft – 5.91 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: 11.60 ftSeptember 15, 2008

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 8.00 ft.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.60 ft	September 15, 2008
2	11.32 ft	February 22, 2018
3	9.79 ft	January 12, 2020
4	9.74 ft	March 11, 2009
5	9.73 ft	March 9, 2009
6	9.54 ft	May 2, 2019
7	9.52 ft	February 12, 2009
8	9.41 ft	August 17, 2016
9	9.34 ft	January 9, 2008
10	9.26 ft	February 24, 1985

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 58° 35° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 65° 37° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 67° 46° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 67° 46° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 68° 49° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 70° 56° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 69° 53° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:02 AM Sunset 06:59 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Dowagiac River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Dowagiac River at State Highway 51 near DowagiacRiver gauge, Dowagiac River	90.4 cfs	Normal	−6.1 cfs	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
St. Joseph River at NilesRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	5.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	6 mi
Dowagiac Creek at Dutch Settlement Road near Dowagiac,River gauge, Dowagiac Creek	35.8 cfs	Normal	−1.2 cfs	12 mi
Osborn Drain at Dewey Lake St near GlenwoodRiver gauge, Osborn Drain	12.2 cfs	Normal	−1.0 cfs	12 mi
Judy Creek near South BendRiver gauge, Judy Creek	12.9 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	13 mi
St. Joseph River at South BendRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	0.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	14 mi
Galien River near SawyerRiver gauge, Galien River	44.7 cfs	Normal	−4.1 cfs	19 mi
St. Joseph River at ElkhartRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	19.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	20 mi
Paw Paw River at RiversideRiver gauge, Paw Paw River	7.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Dowagiac River at Sumnerville?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 2.31 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 Dowagiac River at Sumnerville today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT, the water level was 5.69 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Dowagiac River at Sumnerville rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Dowagiac River at Sumnerville normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Dowagiac River at Sumnerville?

The highest level on record is 11.60 ft on September 15, 2008.

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:04101800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.91338, -86.21307 (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	5.69 ft	2026-10-19 09:45	Provisional
Flow	280 cfs	2026-10-19 09:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Dowagiac River at Sumnerville (usgs:04101800). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/dowagiac-river-at-sumnerville

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