Mad River near Dayton OH water level

Name: Mad River near Dayton OH 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, Mad River, Ohio, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.94ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 07:30 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 483 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:24 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Mad River near Dayton OH, where the gauge shows 2.94 ft.

It is 22.06 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM. The 30-day range is 2.91 ft – 3.04 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 32.00 ftJanuary 23, 1959
Forecast peak: 2.80 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 25.00 ft.

What happens at each level

58.00 ft: This is the height of the emergency spillway at Huffman. While the dam would still be storing water at this point, heights above this level would substantially worsen flooding downstream of Huffman in unprotected areas.
52.00 ft: Significant and widespread flooding occurs. Major inundation occurs in Fairborn, Riverside and portions of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Much of Dayton itself along the Mad River is protected by levees to 58 feet.
40.00 ft: This exceeds the flood of 1959 by 5 feet. In addition to road and runway flooding at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, flooding occurs along Route 4 in numerous locations from near Huffman Metropark and northward. Flooding also occurs near Osborn Road.
35.00 ft: This is equivalent to the FEMA 1 percent flood, with significant flooding of structures and the runway at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Over half of the Fairway Terrace Mobile Home community is flooded.
33.00 ft: Moderate flooding expands. In addition to flooding within portions of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, some areas of State Route 4 begin to flood between Valley Pike and Lower Valley Pike. The City of Dayton near the Mad River is protected to a stage of 58 feet.
32.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs. This equals the highest crest on record, which occurred in January 1959. Runway flooding continues at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, with additional roads on the base flooding. Flooding also occurs near Valley Pike.
30.00 ft: Substantial backwater flooding occurs on Mud Creek. Much of the Fairway Terrace mobile home community is flooded, especially between Welington Drive and Mud Creek.
25.00 ft: Flooding occurs along the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base runway as well as low areas around the base. Backwater flooding along Mud Creek approaches homes in the Fairway Terrace mobile home community along Lower Spring Valley Pike.
22.00 ft: Lowland flooding occurs in the area of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, with water beginning to spill onto the main runway.
21.00 ft: Water impacts lowland areas near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base with water approaching the main runway.
2.94 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	32.00 ft	January 23, 1959
2	28.20 ft	February 26, 1929
3	27.10 ft	March 5, 1963
4	24.00 ft	January 21, 1937
5	23.80 ft	January 27, 1952
6	22.80 ft	January 15, 1937
7	22.30 ft	February 14, 1948
8	21.00 ft	March 29, 1924
9	20.70 ft	March 10, 1964
10	20.20 ft	February 11, 1959

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.09 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 67° 37° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 70° 40° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 69° 49° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 68° 49° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 69° 51° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 71° 50° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 68° 52° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Mad River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mad River at West Liberty OH - 03266560River gauge, Mad River	35.1 cfs	High	−1.1 cfs	36 mi
Mad River near Urbana OHRiver gauge, Mad River	155 cfs	Very high	+4.0 cfs	26 mi
Mad River at St Paris Pike at Eagle City OHRiver gauge, Mad River	221 cfs	Normal	−3.0 cfs	18 mi
Mad River near Springfield OHRiver gauge, Mad River	3.41 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	14 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Great Miami River at Dayton OHRiver gauge, Great Miami River	24.62 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	6.2 mi
Great Miami River at Taylorsville OHRiver gauge, Great Miami River	3.74 ft	Below flood stage	+0.35 ft	7 mi
Wolf Creek at Dayton OHRiver gauge, Wolf Creek	23.0 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	8 mi
Little Miami River near Oldtown OHRiver gauge, Little Miami River	72.0 cfs	High	−2.7 cfs	9 mi
G Miami River at Sellars Rd at West Carrollton OHRiver gauge, G Miami River	8.04 ft	Very high	±0	11 mi
Holes Creek near Kettering OHRiver gauge, Holes Creek	6.7 cfs	Normal	−1.0 cfs	11 mi
Stillwater River at Englewood OHRiver gauge, Stillwater River	3.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	12 mi
Massies Creek at Wilberforce OHRiver gauge, Massies Creek	22.2 cfs	Normal	−2.2 cfs	12 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Mad River near Dayton OH?

The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 22.06 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 Mad River near Dayton OH today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:30 AM EDT, the water level was 2.94 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Mad River near Dayton OH rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Mad River near Dayton OH normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Mad River near Dayton OH?

The highest level on record is 32.00 ft on January 23, 1959.

Is Mad River near Dayton OH expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03270000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.79728, -84.08855 (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	2.94 ft	2026-10-19 11:30	Provisional
Flow	483 cfs	2026-10-19 11:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mad River near Dayton OH (usgs:03270000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/mad-river-near-dayton-oh

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