St. Joseph River at Three Rivers water level

Name: St. Joseph River at Three Rivers 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, St. Joseph River, Michigan, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.32ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 01:45 PM EDT (39 min ago)

Flow: 697 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at St. Joseph River at Three Rivers reads 3.32 ft, a normal level.

It is 3.68 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 3.32 ft and 3.42 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: 11.80 ftJune 3, 1989

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 3.68 ft away.

What happens at each level

11.80 ft: Major flooding of Scidmore Park and residences in Three Rivers can be expected.
10.60 ft: Expect moderate flooding of Scidmore Park. Flooding of the basements of several homes and businesses along south Main Street in the vicinity of the lumber yard can be expected.
9.00 ft: Moderate flooding of Scidmore Park can be expected. Evacuation of some animals in the park zoo can also be expected. High water affects several businesses and floods the basements of homes along south Main, Green, and Jackson Streets.
8.00 ft: Minor flooding of apartments near the river along Mechanic Street, the River Glen Condos on east Michigan Ave, and basements of several homes along River Drive can be expected.
7.00 ft: Expect minor flooding of the Scidmore Park picnic facilities in Three Rivers.
3.32 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: 27 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.80 ft	June 3, 1989
2	11.37 ft	February 24, 2018
3	10.69 ft	March 21, 1982
4	10.60 ft	April 27, 1950
5	10.52 ft	February 27, 1985
6	9.76 ft	May 20, 2020
7	9.75 ft	April 10, 1985
8	9.55 ft	March 12, 2009
9	9.52 ft	January 1, 1993
10	9.44 ft	January 12, 2008

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.95 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 54° 34° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 57° 36° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 65° 37° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 66° 46° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 66° 46° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 68° 47° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 69° 50° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:59 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the St. Joseph River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
St. Joseph River at BurlingtonRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	3.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	31 mi
St. Joseph River at MottvilleRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	2.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	12 mi
St. Joseph River at ElkhartRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	19.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	25 mi
St. Joseph River at South BendRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	0.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	36 mi
St. Joseph River at BertrandRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	9.40 ft	No reference yet	−0.10 ft	35 mi
St. Joseph River at NilesRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	5.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	33 mi
St. Joseph River near Fort WayneRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	3.00 ft	Below flood stage	+0.19 ft	61 mi
St. Joseph River at Parnell Av at Fort WayneRiver gauge, St. Joseph River	7.16 ft	No reference yet	−0.33 ft	63 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spring Creek at Rambadt Road near CentrevilleRiver gauge, Spring Creek	4.7 cfs	Very low	−0.6 cfs	7 mi
Mill Creek at Quaker Street near MottvilleRiver gauge, Mill Creek	16.3 cfs	Very low	−2.7 cfs	9 mi
Prairie River near NottawaRiver gauge, Prairie River	75.7 cfs	Normal	−2.2 cfs	12 mi
Pigeon River near ScottRiver gauge, Pigeon River	3.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	14 mi
Austin Lake near KalamazooLake, Austin Lake	5.82 ft	Low	±0	18 mi
Dowagiac Creek at Dutch Settlement Road near Dowagiac,River gauge, Dowagiac Creek	36.4 cfs	Normal	−1.9 cfs	19 mi
Prairie River at US 12 near Burr OakRiver gauge, Prairie River	27.1 cfs	Normal	−1.2 cfs	20 mi
West Fork Portage Creek near OshtemoRiver gauge, West Fork Portage Creek	10.6 cfs	High	−1.2 cfs	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the St. Joseph River at Three Rivers?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 3.68 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 St. Joseph River at Three Rivers today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:45 PM EDT, the water level was 3.32 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is St. Joseph River at Three Rivers rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of St. Joseph River at Three Rivers normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at St. Joseph River at Three Rivers?

The highest level on record is 11.80 ft on June 3, 1989.

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:04097500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.94033, -85.63277 (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	3.32 ft	2026-10-18 17:45	Provisional
Flow	697 cfs	2026-10-18 17:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: St. Joseph River at Three Rivers (usgs:04097500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/michigan/st-joseph-river-at-three-rivers

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