River Rouge at Southfield water level

Name: River Rouge at Southfield 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

4.09ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 AM EDT (46 min ago)

Flow: 28.8 cfs
Water temperature: 50 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The River Rouge at Southfield is at 4.09 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.91 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.07 ft and 4.14 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 50 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 19.04 ftJune 26, 1968

Floating and fishing near River Rouge at Southfield

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

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 7.91 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: The river reaches Beech Road.
12.00 ft: The river reaches Foot bridge and bottom of Beech Road bridge. Water may backup the Upper Rouge River in Farmington Hills flooding some apartment complexes at or above this stage.
5.00 ft: The river reaches bankfull.
4.09 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.04 ft	June 26, 1968
2	14.16 ft	May 26, 2011
3	13.95 ft	August 6, 1998
4	13.89 ft	June 19, 1996
5	13.85 ft	January 12, 2020
6	13.52 ft	February 10, 2001
7	13.50 ft	May 12, 2018
8	13.39 ft	May 19, 2020
9	13.36 ft	September 15, 2008
10	13.36 ft	February 21, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.04 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 60° 34° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 67° 35° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 67° 52° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 66° 51° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 67° 51° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 67° 56° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 67° 54° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the River Rouge

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
River Rouge at DetroitRiver gauge, River Rouge	4.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	5.6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Upper River Rouge at FarmingtonRiver gauge, Upper River Rouge	6.7 cfs	Normal	±0	3.9 mi
Middle River Rouge near Garden CityRiver gauge, Middle River Rouge	3.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	7 mi
Lower River Rouge at DearbornRiver gauge, Lower River Rouge	3.34 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	10 mi
Ecorse River at Dearborn HeightsRiver gauge, Ecorse River	1.1 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	12 mi
Red Run at Ryan Road near WarrenRiver gauge, Red Run	3.4 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	13 mi
Clinton River at Auburn HillsRiver gauge, Clinton River	108 cfs	Normal	+1.0 cfs	13 mi
Detroit River at Fort Wayne at DetroitRiver gauge, Detroit River	573.32 ft	Normal	±0	15 mi
Plum Brook at UticaRiver gauge, Plum Brook	2.3 cfs	Low	−0.1 cfs	16 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the River Rouge at Southfield?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 7.91 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 Southfield today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 AM EDT, the water level was 4.09 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is River Rouge at Southfield rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of River Rouge at Southfield 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 Southfield?

The highest level on record is 19.04 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:04166100 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.44751, -83.29737 (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	4.09 ft	2026-10-19 05:30	Provisional
Flow	28.8 cfs	2026-10-19 05:30	Provisional
Water temperature	50 °F	2026-10-19 05:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: River Rouge at Southfield (usgs:04166100). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/river-rouge-at-southfield

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