Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite Falls water level

Name: Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite Falls 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, Minnesota River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

879.61ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 16, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT (3 days ago)

Flow: 167 cfs

History

Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.

What this means

The Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite Falls is at 879.61 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.39 ft below the flood stage of 885.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours.

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: 899.84 ftApril 7, 1997

Floating and fishing near Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite Falls

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

Flood stage here is 885.00 ft, 5.39 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

899.50 ft: Flood waters begin to impact the low steel on the Highway 212 bridge.
897.20 ft: Water reaches the low steel of the Walking Bridge (west end).
890.30 ft: Flood waters begin to affect Highway 67 southeast of Granite Falls.
890.00 ft: Flood waters from the diversion begin to affect 11th Ave west of Granite Falls...which cuts off access to the events center.
889.50 ft: Flood waters begin to top the controlling bank at Highway 212.
889.30 ft: Water begins to cover Minnesota Ave. in Rice Park.
889.10 ft: Flood waters begin to flow over Dikes Road and into the natural diversion that starts upstream of Granite Falls...water flows west and south of the city, reentering the river just below highway 212.
885.00 ft: Flood waters begin to reach the alley way along the river at the foot bridge.
883.50 ft: Water begins to reach the deck of the fishing pier just downstream from the Walking Bridge.
879.61 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	899.84 ft	April 7, 1997
2	896.54 ft	April 12, 1969
3	895.84 ft	April 15, 2001
4	894.64 ft	April 10, 1952
5	894.24 ft	June 25, 1919
6	893.55 ft	April 7, 2011
7	893.52 ft	March 31, 2019
8	893.12 ft	March 23, 2010
9	892.64 ft	April 14, 1965
10	892.44 ft	April 11, 1951

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:43 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 10 hr, 49 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Minnesota River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Minnesota River at OrtonvilleRiver gauge, Minnesota River	1.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	55 mi
Minnesota River near Lac Qui ParleRiver gauge, Minnesota River	72.6 cfs	Low	+2.1 cfs	22 mi
Minnesota River at MontevideoRiver gauge, Minnesota River	2.72 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	13 mi
Minnesota River at MortonRiver gauge, Minnesota River	7.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	32 mi
Minnesota River at New UlmRiver gauge, Minnesota River	785.55 ft	Below flood stage	±0	65 mi
Minnesota River at MankatoRiver gauge, Minnesota River	5.17 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	88 mi
Minnesota River near JordanRiver gauge, Minnesota River	6.86 ft	Below flood stage	+0.51 ft	94 mi
Minnesota River at St. Highway 101 in ShakopeeRiver gauge, Minnesota River	17.24 ft	No reference yet	+0.61 ft	99 mi
Minnesota River at Fort Snelling State ParkRiver gauge, Minnesota River	686.73 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	115 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yellow Medicine River near Granite FallsRiver gauge, Yellow Medicine River	31.3 cfs	Normal	+5.6 cfs	6.2 mi
Chippewa River (Tw) near WatsonRiver gauge, Chippewa River (Tw)	95.5 cfs	Normal	−3.9 cfs	19 mi
Chippewa River near MilanRiver gauge, Chippewa River	188 cfs	Normal	−16.0 cfs	24 mi
Redwood River near Redwood FallsRiver gauge, Redwood River	1.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	27 mi
Redwood River near MarshallRiver gauge, Redwood River	6.65 ft	Below flood stage	±0	29 mi
Pomme De Terre River at AppletonRiver gauge, Pomme De Terre River	82.4 cfs	Normal	−7.5 cfs	36 mi
Yellow Bank River near OdessaRiver gauge, Yellow Bank River	149 cfs	Very high	+3.0 cfs	49 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite Falls?

The official flood stage is 885.00 ft. The level is currently 5.39 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 Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite Falls today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 10:15 AM CDT, the water level was 879.61 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite Falls rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite Falls normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite Falls?

The highest level on record is 899.84 ft on April 7, 1997.

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:05311150 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.80525, -95.54409 (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	879.61 ft	2026-10-16 15:15	Provisional
Flow	167 cfs	2026-10-19 22:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Minnesota River at Highway 212 in Granite Falls (usgs:05311150). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/minnesota-river-at-highway-212-in-granite-falls

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