Chariton River at Novinger water level

Name: Chariton River at Novinger 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, Chariton River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.65ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 05:45 AM CDT (47 min ago)

Flow: 723 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Chariton River at Novinger reads 2.65 ft, a normal level.

It is 17.35 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.61 ft and 2.74 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: 28.60 ftJune 1, 1917

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 20.00 ft, still 17.35 ft away.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: State Highway 6 near Novinger floods.
23.00 ft: Moderate flooding of farmland occurs.
20.00 ft: Farm fields along the river begin to flood.
2.65 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: 24 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	28.60 ft	June 1, 1917
2	28.50 ft	June 7, 1947
3	28.44 ft	July 25, 2008
4	28.36 ft	July 21, 2010
5	27.80 ft	May 29, 2019
6	26.66 ft	June 20, 1950
7	26.65 ft	April 2, 1960
8	26.37 ft	September 14, 2008
9	26.34 ft	June 17, 1945
10	26.22 ft	June 15, 1950

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 63° 38° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 67° 40° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 70° 49° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 74° 55° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 76° 56° – Wind 13 mph

24 Sat 74° 59° – Wind 15 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 49%

Map

Other gauges on the Chariton River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chariton River near CharitonRiver gauge, Chariton River	4.61 ft	Below flood stage	±0	58 mi
Chariton River near RathbunRiver gauge, Chariton River	823 cfs	High	−2.0 cfs	42 mi
Chariton River near MoultonRiver gauge, Chariton River	22.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	32 mi
Chariton River near Prairie HillRiver gauge, Chariton River	3.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	48 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spring Creek at StahlRiver gauge, Spring Creek	7.7 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	7 mi
East Locust Creek near BoyntonRiver gauge, East Locust Creek	6.9 cfs	High	±0	21 mi
Long Branch Creek near AtlantaRiver gauge, Long Branch Creek	5.0 cfs	High	−1.1 cfs	25 mi
East Fork Little Chariton River near MaconRiver gauge, East Fork Little Chariton River	43.1 cfs	Normal	−3.1 cfs	35 mi
Cooper Creek at CentervilleRiver gauge, Cooper Creek	7.65 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	37 mi
North Fork Salt River at Hagers GroveRiver gauge, North Fork Salt River	−0.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	37 mi
Locust Creek near LinneusRiver gauge, Locust Creek	34.7 cfs	Normal	−3.5 cfs	37 mi
South Fabius River above NewarkRiver gauge, South Fabius River	16.9 cfs	Normal	−11.6 cfs	38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Chariton River at Novinger?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 17.35 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 Chariton River at Novinger today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:45 AM CDT, the water level was 2.65 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Chariton River at Novinger rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Chariton River at Novinger normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Chariton River at Novinger?

The highest level on record is 28.60 ft on June 1, 1917.

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:06904500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.23433, -92.68639 (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	2.65 ft	2026-10-18 10:45	Provisional
Flow	723 cfs	2026-10-18 10:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Chariton River at Novinger (usgs:06904500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/chariton-river-at-novinger

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