Prairie River near Taconite water level

Name: Prairie River near Taconite 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, Prairie River, Minnesota, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.15ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT (28 min ago)

Flow: 53.1 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Prairie River near Taconite is at 2.15 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.85 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.15 ft and 2.26 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: 11.81 ftApril 17, 1969

Floating and fishing near Prairie River near Taconite

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

Flood stage here is 10.00 ft, 7.85 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: Water level nears cabin on Lower Lawrence lake. Several area county roads become inundated.
10.00 ft: County Road 352 near Lawrence lake boat ramp becomes inundated. Flood waters cross County Road 319 near Crooked Lake.
2.15 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	11.81 ft	April 17, 1969
2	11.78 ft	June 27, 2002
3	11.64 ft	April 24, 1979
4	11.41 ft	April 18, 2023
5	11.04 ft	May 1, 1975
6	11.00 ft	April 21, 1971
7	10.99 ft	April 16, 2001
8	10.50 ft	April 26, 2008
9	10.12 ft	May 2, 1970
10	10.11 ft	June 23, 2024

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:22 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min First quarter 53%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mississippi River at Grand RapidsRiver gauge, Mississippi River	401 cfs	Very low	−25.0 cfs	13 mi
Mississippi River at Days High Landing near Deer RiverRiver gauge, Mississippi River	73.11 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	22 mi
Ball Club River near Ball ClubRiver gauge, Ball Club River	4.73 ft	No reference yet	+0.01 ft	24 mi
Mississippi River at Willow Beach at Ball ClubRiver gauge, Mississippi River	303 cfs	Low	−8.0 cfs	25 mi
Sand River near BrittRiver gauge, Sand River	5.13 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	42 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Prairie River near Taconite?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.85 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 Prairie River near Taconite today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:00 PM CDT, the water level was 2.15 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Prairie River near Taconite rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Prairie River near Taconite normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Prairie River near Taconite?

The highest level on record is 11.81 ft on April 17, 1969.

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:05212700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 47.38884, -93.38229 (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	2.15 ft	2026-10-18 21:00	Provisional
Flow	53.1 cfs	2026-10-18 21:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Prairie River near Taconite (usgs:05212700). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/minnesota/prairie-river-near-taconite

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