Cottonwood River near New Ulm water level

Name: Cottonwood River near New Ulm 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, Cottonwood River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.28ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 42.2 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Cottonwood River near New Ulm, where the gauge shows 3.28 ft.

It is 7.72 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.20 ft – 3.31 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: 20.86 ftApril 8, 1965
Lowest on record: 0.64 ftAugust 1, 1988

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 11.00 ft.

What happens at each level

22.75 ft: Water impacts Cottonwood Townhouses.
22.00 ft: Swimming pond at Flandrau SP closed and sandbagged for flood protection.
20.00 ft: Water begins to impact residence on Butternut Street
19.00 ft: All trails at Flandrau SP closed due to flooding
18.00 ft: Flood waters reach the back of the campground at Flandrau SP
13.00 ft: Flood waters begin to impact Cottonwood Street west of the river.
11.00 ft: Flood waters begin to impact low lying areas...and some roads along the river.
3.28 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	20.86 ft	April 8, 1965
2	19.72 ft	June 24, 2024
3	19.64 ft	July 6, 2018
4	19.15 ft	April 10, 1969
5	18.95 ft	September 26, 2010
6	18.90 ft	June 19, 1993
7	18.18 ft	April 25, 2001
8	17.92 ft	March 24, 2019
9	17.54 ft	March 4, 2020
10	17.22 ft	May 16, 2023

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 10 hr, 50 min First quarter 60%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Minnesota River at New UlmRiver gauge, Minnesota River	785.55 ft	Below flood stage	±0	0.6 mi
Little Cottonwood River near CourtlandRiver gauge, Little Cottonwood River	18.0 cfs	Normal	+2.4 cfs	5.8 mi
Watonwan River near Garden CityRiver gauge, Watonwan River	137 cfs	Normal	±0	21 mi
Blue Earth River near RapidanRiver gauge, Blue Earth River	1,550 cfs	High	+170 cfs	22 mi
Le Sueur River near RapidanRiver gauge, Le Sueur River	1,080 cfs	High	+10.0 cfs	23 mi
Minnesota River at MankatoRiver gauge, Minnesota River	5.20 ft	Below flood stage	+0.23 ft	23 mi
High Island Creek near HendersonRiver gauge, High Island Creek	54.8 cfs	Normal	−2.1 cfs	32 mi
Minnesota River at MortonRiver gauge, Minnesota River	7.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Cottonwood River near New Ulm?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.72 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 Cottonwood River near New Ulm today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:00 AM CDT, the water level was 3.28 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cottonwood River near New Ulm rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cottonwood River near New Ulm normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cottonwood River near New Ulm?

The highest level on record is 20.86 ft on April 8, 1965. The lowest is 0.64 ft on August 1, 1988.

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:05317000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.28922, -94.43943 (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	3.28 ft	2026-10-19 16:00	Provisional
Flow	42.2 cfs	2026-10-19 16:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cottonwood River near New Ulm (usgs:05317000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/cottonwood-river-near-new-ulm

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