Red Cedar River at East Lansing water level

Name: Red Cedar River at East Lansing 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, Red Cedar River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.41ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:30 AM EDT (32 min ago)

Flow: 82.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Red Cedar River at East Lansing reads 3.41 ft, a normal level.

It is 3.59 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.34 ft and 3.41 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: 13.40 ftMarch 24, 1904

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 7.00 ft, still 3.59 ft away.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: Expect major widespread flooding of homes and businesses in area around the mouth of the Red Cedar along Sprint, Hazel, Elm, South, Clear, River, Cedar, and Beech Streets. Apartments flooded on South Washington and East Main Street. Kellogg Center, Armstrong Hall, Bailey Hall, Van Hoosen Hall, Chapel, Emmons Hall, and University Village impacted by high water.
12.00 ft: Expect moderate flooding of Jenison Fieldhouse, Intramural Sports Circle, Demonstration Hall on the Michigan State University campus. University Village begins to be impacted by flood waters.
11.50 ft: Expect moderate widespread flooding of homes and businesses in the Kalamazoo and Clippert Street, South Street, and Cedar and Beech Street areas of Lansing.
10.50 ft: Expect moderate flooding of homes and businesses in the Cedar and Beech Streets area, South Street, and 1.5 miles downstream of gage site.
10.00 ft: Jenison Fieldhouse, Intramural Sports Circle, Demonstration Hall on the Michigan State University campus impacted by flood water.
9.00 ft: Jenison Fieldhouse and Intramural Sports Circle on the Michigan State University begin to get impacted by flood water.
8.50 ft: Minor flooding of farmland, Michigan State University athletic fields, and secondary roads.
8.00 ft: The Potter Park Zoo parking lot in Lansing begins to flood.
7.00 ft: Expect minor flooding of low lying areas, adjacent parks, and farmland.
6.50 ft: Water begins to encroach on some Michigan State University athletic fields.
6.00 ft: River reaches bankfull and low lying areas flood.
3.41 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.40 ft	March 24, 1904
2	11.95 ft	April 20, 1975
3	11.58 ft	April 7, 1947
4	10.70 ft	March 15, 1918
5	10.47 ft	March 20, 1948
6	10.28 ft	February 22, 2018
7	10.20 ft	March 27, 1916
8	9.50 ft	April 3, 1912
9	9.46 ft	February 26, 1985
10	9.23 ft	March 16, 1982

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:56 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 57%

Map

Other gauges on the Red Cedar River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red Cedar River near WilliamstonRiver gauge, Red Cedar River	2.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Grand River at LansingRiver gauge, Grand River	2.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	4.2 mi
Sycamore Creek at Holt Road near HoltRiver gauge, Sycamore Creek	2.42 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	6.0 mi
Sloan Creek near WilliamstonRiver gauge, Sloan Creek	0.5 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	7 mi
Looking Glass River near EagleRiver gauge, Looking Glass River	2.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	16 mi
Grand River at PortlandRiver gauge, Grand River	5.75 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	24 mi
Shiawassee River at OwossoRiver gauge, Shiawassee River	2.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	25 mi
Maple River at Maple RapidsRiver gauge, Maple River	2.68 ft	Below flood stage	±0	29 mi
Grand River at JacksonRiver gauge, Grand River	9.20 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	31 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Red Cedar River at East Lansing?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 3.59 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 Red Cedar River at East Lansing today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:30 AM EDT, the water level was 3.41 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Red Cedar River at East Lansing rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Red Cedar River at East Lansing normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Red Cedar River at East Lansing?

The highest level on record is 13.40 ft on March 24, 1904.

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:04112500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.72723, -84.47796 (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	3.41 ft	2026-10-19 08:30	Provisional
Flow	82.6 cfs	2026-10-19 08:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Red Cedar River at East Lansing (usgs:04112500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/red-cedar-river-at-east-lansing

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