River Rouge at Detroit water level

Name: River Rouge at Detroit 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, River Rouge, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.91ft Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 43.8 cfs
Water temperature: 51 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at River Rouge at Detroit, where the gauge shows 4.91 ft.

It is 10.09 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.91 ft – 5.16 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 51 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 21.40 ftJune 26, 1968

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 15.00 ft.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: Fenkell Avenue floods to a depth of 3 feet and some businesses along Fenkell, where it crosses the upper rouge, flood. Evacuation of several residents is likely with many basements flooding in Livonia.
18.00 ft: Flooding begins on Fenkell Avenue, Middlebelt Road, several side streets and residential areas in Redford Township and Livonia.
15.00 ft: Flooding begins in some park areas, the River Rouge Municipal Golf Course, and a few homes. Most flood damage occurs on the Upper Rouge River with minor flooding occurring on the main branch.
14.00 ft: The river reaches bankfull.
4.91 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.40 ft	June 26, 1968
2	20.23 ft	May 26, 2011
3	19.92 ft	October 1, 1981
4	18.94 ft	June 26, 2021
5	18.94 ft	June 26, 2021
6	17.72 ft	June 22, 1989
7	17.56 ft	January 12, 2020
8	17.54 ft	May 13, 2018
9	17.51 ft	August 12, 2014
10	17.36 ft	August 6, 1998

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.29 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 56° 37° – Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 60° 36° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 67° 37° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 67° 52° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 67° 52° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 67° 51° – Wind 3 mph

23 Fri 68° 54° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the River Rouge

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
River Rouge at SouthfieldRiver gauge, River Rouge	4.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	5.6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle River Rouge near Garden CityRiver gauge, Middle River Rouge	2.99 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	3.4 mi
Lower River Rouge at DearbornRiver gauge, Lower River Rouge	3.27 ft	Below flood stage	±0	4.5 mi
Ecorse River at Dearborn HeightsRiver gauge, Ecorse River	1.0 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	7 mi
Upper River Rouge at FarmingtonRiver gauge, Upper River Rouge	6.7 cfs	Normal	±0	9 mi
Detroit River at Fort Wayne at DetroitRiver gauge, Detroit River	573.32 ft	Normal	±0	10 mi
Turkey Creek at South WindsorRiver gauge, Turkey Creek	4.03 m	Very low	−0.01 m	22 km
Red Run at Ryan Road near WarrenRiver gauge, Red Run	3.3 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	14 mi
Frank and Poet Drain at King Road at TrentonRiver gauge, Frank and Poet Drain	1.5 cfs	Low	−0.6 cfs	15 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the River Rouge at Detroit?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 10.09 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 River Rouge at Detroit today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT, the water level was 4.91 ft. Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is River Rouge at Detroit rising or falling?

Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of River Rouge at Detroit normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at River Rouge at Detroit?

The highest level on record is 21.40 ft on June 26, 1968.

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:04166500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.37309, -83.25465 (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	4.91 ft	2026-10-19 09:45	Provisional
Flow	43.8 cfs	2026-10-19 09:45	Provisional
Water temperature	51 °F	2026-10-19 09:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: River Rouge at Detroit (usgs:04166500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/river-rouge-at-detroit

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