Blackwater River at Blue Lick water level

Name: Blackwater River at Blue Lick 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, Blackwater River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

7.22ft Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 10:45 AM CDT (19 min ago)

Flow: 32.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Blackwater River at Blue Lick is at 7.22 ft, in the normal range.

It is 16.78 ft below the flood stage of 24.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 6.89 ft and 7.41 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: 41.53 ftOctober 3, 1986

Floating and fishing near Blackwater River at Blue Lick

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

Flood stage here is 24.00 ft, 16.78 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

37.00 ft: County Road 339 also known as Old U.S. Highway 65 is flooded about 0.2 miles north of the Blackwater River.
31.00 ft: The Missouri-Pacific railroad tracks are overtopped.
29.00 ft: Livestock in pastures along the river may be endangered. Extensive damage also occurs to cropland and pasture.
24.00 ft: Cropland and pastures along the river flood.
7.22 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: 50 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	41.53 ft	October 3, 1986
2	36.25 ft	May 18, 1990
3	35.36 ft	May 20, 1995
4	35.15 ft	April 13, 1994
5	34.84 ft	June 8, 2001
6	34.84 ft	May 11, 2002
7	34.52 ft	September 17, 1998
8	34.42 ft	July 3, 2007
9	34.41 ft	May 3, 2017
10	34.14 ft	August 4, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.97 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 65° 40° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 71° 42° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 74° 51° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 75° 53° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 78° 56° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 81° 57° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 81° 60° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:31 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 51%

Map

Other gauges on the Blackwater River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Blackwater River at Valley CityRiver gauge, Blackwater River	2.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	24 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River at WaverlyRiver gauge, Missouri River	13.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.32 ft	23 mi
Lamine River near OttervilleRiver gauge, Lamine River	0.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	23 mi
Missouri River at BoonvilleRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.70 ft	Below flood stage	−0.74 ft	24 mi
Missouri River at GlasgowRiver gauge, Missouri River	14.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.67 ft	25 mi
Petite Saline Creek at Hwy U near Boonville, M0River gauge, Petite Saline Creek	4.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.27 ft	27 mi
Wakenda Creek at CarrolltonRiver gauge, Wakenda Creek	2.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.49 ft	29 mi
Moniteau Creek near FayetteRiver gauge, Moniteau Creek	4.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	35 mi
Mussel Fork near MusselforkRiver gauge, Mussel Fork	27.0 cfs	Normal	−4.6 cfs	39 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Blackwater River at Blue Lick?

The official flood stage is 24.00 ft. The level is currently 16.78 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 Blackwater River at Blue Lick today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 10:45 AM CDT, the water level was 7.22 ft. Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Blackwater River at Blue Lick rising or falling?

Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Blackwater River at Blue Lick normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Blackwater River at Blue Lick?

The highest level on record is 41.53 ft on October 3, 1986.

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:06908000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.99224, -93.19687 (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	7.22 ft	2026-10-18 15:45	Provisional
Flow	32.6 cfs	2026-10-18 15:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Blackwater River at Blue Lick (usgs:06908000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/blackwater-river-at-blue-lick

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