South Branch Tobacco River near Beaverton water level

Name: South Branch Tobacco River near Beaverton 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, South Branch Tobacco River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

4.54ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:15 PM EDT (37 min ago)

Flow: 70.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

At 4.54 ft, the South Branch Tobacco River near Beaverton is below normal for mid-October.

The level is falling, down 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.49 ft and 4.98 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 13.23 ftApril 14, 2014

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Water will reach Townhall Road (Grout Road) and base of bridge spanning river.
9.00 ft: Left bank of river will overflow.
4.54 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.23 ft	April 14, 2014
2	12.78 ft	February 21, 2018
3	12.72 ft	June 23, 2017
4	12.59 ft	March 6, 2004
5	12.21 ft	May 29, 2013
6	12.14 ft	May 19, 2020
7	11.54 ft	February 12, 2009
8	11.49 ft	March 14, 2006
9	11.06 ft	March 12, 1990
10	10.82 ft	March 26, 1989

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 08:01 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tobacco River at Glidden Road at BeavertonRiver gauge, Tobacco River	2.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	3.7 mi
Salt River near North BradleyRiver gauge, Salt River	21.9 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	12 mi
Tittabawassee River at SanfordRiver gauge, Tittabawassee River	321 cfs	Low	−51.0 cfs	15 mi
Chippewa River near Mount PleasantRiver gauge, Chippewa River	3.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	19 mi
Chippewa River at S Homer Road near MidlandRiver gauge, Chippewa River	14.16 ft	Highest on record	−0.01 ft	21 mi
Pine River near MidlandRiver gauge, Pine River	2.41 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	23 mi
North Branch Chippewa River Meridian Road near Mount PleasantRiver gauge, North Branch Chippewa River Meridian Road	20.8 cfs	Low	−0.4 cfs	24 mi
Tittabawassee River at MidlandRiver gauge, Tittabawassee River	9.83 ft	Below flood stage	+0.11 ft	24 mi

Questions and answers

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 South Branch Tobacco River near Beaverton today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:15 PM EDT, the water level was 4.54 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Branch Tobacco River near Beaverton rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Branch Tobacco River near Beaverton normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Branch Tobacco River near Beaverton?

The highest level on record is 13.23 ft on April 14, 2014.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04152238 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.86697, -84.54529 (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	4.54 ft	2026-10-21 01:15	Provisional
Flow	70.0 cfs	2026-10-21 01:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Branch Tobacco River near Beaverton (usgs:04152238). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/south-branch-tobacco-river-near-beaverton

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