Buffalo River near Dilworth water level

Name: Buffalo River near Dilworth 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, Buffalo River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.16ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT (30 min ago)

Flow: 41.1 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Buffalo River near Dilworth, where the gauge shows 3.16 ft.

It is 9.84 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.08 ft – 3.22 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: 27.10 ftJuly 2, 1975

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 13.00 ft.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: MAJOR FLOOD STAGE.
25.00 ft: US Highway 10 east of Glyndon is flooded. Extensive flooding to agricultural areas.
22.00 ft: The approach road on the north side of the bridge begins to flood.
20.00 ft: MODERATE FLOOD STAGE.
17.00 ft: Some agricultural flooding begins.
15.80 ft: Road west of gage begins to flood.
15.00 ft: Gage not accessible above 15 feet.
14.90 ft: Bottom of steel bridge causes upstream road to flood.
13.00 ft: MINOR FLOOD STAGE.
12.00 ft: ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
3.16 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	27.10 ft	July 2, 1975
2	27.02 ft	April 6, 1997
3	25.86 ft	March 25, 2009
4	25.55 ft	April 11, 1969
5	24.43 ft	April 16, 2023
6	24.11 ft	April 1, 2006
7	23.56 ft	June 11, 1962
8	23.37 ft	April 11, 1965
9	23.31 ft	March 18, 1966
10	23.29 ft	April 10, 2001

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.

17 Sat 68° 36° – Wind 23 mph

18 Sun 70° 42° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 66° 36° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 69° 47° – Wind 17 mph

21 Wed 70° 52° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 75° 52° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 72° 62° 0.05 in Wind 17 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:49 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 10 hr, 46 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Buffalo River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Buffalo River near HawleyRiver gauge, Buffalo River	3.19 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red River of The North at FargoRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.06 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	9 mi
Sheyenne River at HarwoodRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	68.77 ft	Low	−0.06 ft	11 mi
Red River of The North near GeorgetownRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.17 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	12 mi
Sheyenne River at West FargoRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	6.57 ft	Low	+0.04 ft	13 mi
Sheyenne River Diversion at West FargoRiver gauge, Sheyenne River Diversion	6.63 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	13 mi
South Branch Buffalo River at SabinRiver gauge, South Branch Buffalo River	7.18 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Wild Rice River near St BenedictRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	23.32 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	19 mi
Maple River below MapletonRiver gauge, Maple River	8.82 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Buffalo River near Dilworth?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 9.84 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 Buffalo River near Dilworth today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:00 PM CDT, the water level was 3.16 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Buffalo River near Dilworth rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Buffalo River near Dilworth normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Buffalo River near Dilworth?

The highest level on record is 27.10 ft on July 2, 1975.

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:05062000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.96324, -96.66172 (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	3.16 ft	2026-10-18 20:00	Provisional
Flow	41.1 cfs	2026-10-18 20:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buffalo River near Dilworth (usgs:05062000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/buffalo-river-near-dilworth

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