Buffalo River near Hawley water level

Name: Buffalo River near Hawley 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

3.19ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 08:45 PM CDT (46 min ago)

Flow: 15.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Buffalo River near Hawley is at 3.19 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.81 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.15 ft and 3.20 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: 11.30 ftJanuary 1, 1921

Floating and fishing near Buffalo River near Hawley

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 8.00 ft, 4.81 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: MAJOR FLOOD STAGE.
9.00 ft: MODERATE FLOOD STAGE. Railroad underpass at US Hwy 10 floods.
8.00 ft: MINOR FLOOD STAGE. Parts of Hawley City Park begin to flood.
7.50 ft: ACTION STAGE/FORECAST SERVICE STAGE.
3.19 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	11.30 ft	January 1, 1921
2	10.86 ft	June 22, 2000
3	10.82 ft	April 1, 2006
4	10.77 ft	April 6, 1997
5	10.60 ft	March 25, 2009
6	10.58 ft	March 17, 1966
7	10.40 ft	July 18, 1993
8	10.17 ft	April 8, 2001
9	9.80 ft	April 14, 2023
10	9.76 ft	July 1, 1975

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.06 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 67° 36° – Wind 22 mph

18 Sun 67° 42° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 65° 39° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 68° 47° – Wind 17 mph

21 Wed 69° 51° – Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 74° 52° – Wind 15 mph

23 Fri 72° 62° 0.13 in Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:49 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 10 hr, 43 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the Buffalo River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Buffalo River near DilworthRiver gauge, Buffalo River	3.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Branch Buffalo River at SabinRiver gauge, South Branch Buffalo River	7.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	15 mi
Red River of The North at FargoRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.05 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	21 mi
Wild Rice River near St BenedictRiver gauge, Wild Rice River	23.31 ft	Very low	±0	25 mi
Red River of The North at HicksonRiver gauge, Red River of The North	10.20 ft	Low	+0.04 ft	26 mi
Sheyenne River at West FargoRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	6.59 ft	Low	+0.06 ft	27 mi
Sheyenne River Diversion at West FargoRiver gauge, Sheyenne River Diversion	6.63 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	28 mi
Sheyenne River at HarwoodRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	68.77 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	28 mi
Red River of The North near GeorgetownRiver gauge, Red River of The North	14.15 ft	Very low	−0.06 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Buffalo River near Hawley?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 4.81 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 Hawley today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 08:45 PM CDT, the water level was 3.19 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Buffalo River near Hawley rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Buffalo River near Hawley 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 Hawley?

The highest level on record is 11.30 ft on January 1, 1921.

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:05061000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.85198, -96.32912 (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	3.19 ft	2026-10-19 01:45	Provisional
Flow	15.8 cfs	2026-10-19 01:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buffalo River near Hawley (usgs:05061000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/buffalo-river-near-hawley

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