Chippewa River (Tw) near Watson water level

Name: Chippewa River (Tw) near Watson 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, Chippewa River (Tw), Minnesota, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

36.92ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:00 AM CDT (22 min ago)

Flow: 101 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Chippewa River (Tw) near Watson, where the gauge shows 36.92 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 36.88 ft – 36.93 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 49.93 ftMarch 26, 2019

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	49.93 ft	March 26, 2019
2	45.41 ft	April 12, 2001
3	44.31 ft	March 25, 2009
4	44.10 ft	April 5, 2011
5	44.10 ft	March 18, 2010
6	43.84 ft	May 17, 2015
7	43.78 ft	June 20, 2014
8	41.53 ft	June 24, 2013
9	41.49 ft	August 18, 2017
10	41.33 ft	August 12, 2016

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 69° 43° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 67° 38° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 71° 48° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 76° 53° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 76° 56° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 68° 59° 0.15 in Wind 21 mph

24 Sat 67° 44° 0.06 in, 31% Wind 24 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:43 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 50%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Minnesota River near Lac Qui ParleRiver gauge, Minnesota River	72.6 cfs	Low	±0	3.7 mi
Chippewa River near MilanRiver gauge, Chippewa River	200 cfs	Normal	+3.0 cfs	6.1 mi
Minnesota River at MontevideoRiver gauge, Minnesota River	2.67 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	7 mi
Pomme De Terre River at AppletonRiver gauge, Pomme De Terre River	95.4 cfs	Normal	+5.5 cfs	17 mi
Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite FallsRiver gauge, Minnesota River	879.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	19 mi
Yellow Medicine River near Granite FallsRiver gauge, Yellow Medicine River	27.1 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	24 mi
Yellow Bank River near OdessaRiver gauge, Yellow Bank River	143 cfs	Very high	−4.0 cfs	31 mi
Minnesota River at OrtonvilleRiver gauge, Minnesota River	1.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	37 mi

Questions and answers

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 Chippewa River (Tw) near Watson today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:00 AM CDT, the water level was 36.92 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Chippewa River (Tw) near Watson rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Chippewa River (Tw) near Watson normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Chippewa River (Tw) near Watson?

The highest level on record is 49.93 ft on March 26, 2019.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05305000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.02111, -95.79173 (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	36.92 ft	2026-10-18 14:00	Provisional
Flow	101 cfs	2026-10-18 14:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Chippewa River (Tw) near Watson (usgs:05305000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/chippewa-river-tw-near-watson

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