Medicine Bow R above E Fk Med Bow near Elk Mountain water level

Name: Medicine Bow R above E Fk Med Bow near Elk Mountain 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, Medicine Bow R, Wyoming, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.58ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 02:45 AM MDT (46 min ago)

Flow: 5.9 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Medicine Bow R above E Fk Med Bow near Elk Mountain reads 3.58 ft, a normal level.

It is 3.42 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.57 ft and 3.69 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: 7.08 ftJune 30, 2011

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 3.42 ft away.

What happens at each level

7.00 ft: Flood stage. Low lying area flooding intensifies and becomes more widespread upstream and downstream of the gage. Access to the gage and bridge becomes severely impacted. Lowland flooding becomes more widespread in the town of Elk Mountain. Flood wave travel time to the town of Elk Mountain is three to five hours.
6.00 ft: Bankfull stage. Minor flooding of low lying areas occurs upstream and downstream of the gage. Water encroaches low lying areas near the bridge at the gage house. Lowland flooding occurs in the town of Elk Mountain. Peak flow travel time to the town of Elk Mountain is four to six hours.
3.58 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.08 ft	June 30, 2011
2	6.75 ft	June 8, 2016
3	6.38 ft	June 17, 2015
4	6.36 ft	May 29, 2014
5	6.36 ft	June 11, 2017
6	6.03 ft	June 21, 2019
7	5.83 ft	June 11, 2013
8	5.70 ft	May 26, 2018
9	5.01 ft	May 23, 2012

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 61° 39° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 60° 44° 0.00 in, 35% Wind 18 mph

23 Fri 57° 39° – Wind 22 mph

24 Sat 56° 35° – Wind 24 mph

25 Sun 42° 34° 0.24 in Wind 7 mph

26 Mon 49° 30° 0.00 in Wind 9 mph

27 Tue 50° 36° 0.01 in Wind 23 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:17 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rock Creek above King Canyon Canal, near ArlingtonRiver gauge, Rock Creek	1.14 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	10 mi
North Brush Creek near SaratogaRiver gauge, North Brush Creek	9.4 cfs	Low	±0	14 mi
Encampment River at Mouth, near EncampmentRiver gauge, Encampment River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	±0	23 mi
Lake Medicine Bow River at Boles Spring, near Medicine BowRiver gauge, Lake Medicine Bow River	1.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	30 mi
Medicine Bow River above Seminoe Reservoir, near HannaRiver gauge, Medicine Bow River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	32 mi
North Platte River above Seminoe Reservoir, near SinclairRiver gauge, North Platte River	3.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	40 mi
Encampment River above Hog Park Creek, near EncampmentRiver gauge, Encampment River	1.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	42 mi
Battle Cr below West Fork Battle Cr, near SlaterRiver gauge, Battle Cr	3.05 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	51 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Medicine Bow R above E Fk Med Bow near Elk Mountain?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 3.42 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 Medicine Bow R above E Fk Med Bow near Elk Mountain today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 02:45 AM MDT, the water level was 3.58 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Medicine Bow R above E Fk Med Bow near Elk Mountain rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Medicine Bow R above E Fk Med Bow near Elk Mountain normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Medicine Bow R above E Fk Med Bow near Elk Mountain?

The highest level on record is 7.08 ft on June 30, 2011.

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:06630465 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.54778, -106.40972 (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	3.58 ft	2026-10-21 08:45	Provisional
Flow	5.9 cfs	2026-10-21 08:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Medicine Bow R above E Fk Med Bow near Elk Mountain (usgs:06630465). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/wyoming/medicine-bow-r-above-e-fk-med-bow-near-elk-mountain

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