Current River at Van Buren water level

Name: Current River at Van Buren 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, Current River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.59ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 768 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.60 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 01:00 PM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 08:47 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Current River at Van Buren reads 2.59 ft, a normal level.

It is 17.41 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.60 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 01:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.59 ft and 2.64 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 37.20 ftMay 1, 2017
Forecast peak: 2.60 ftSaturday, October 17 at 01:00 PM

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 17.41 ft away.

What happens at each level

29.00 ft: Large amounts of property damage can be expected. Evacuation of many homes and businesses becomes necessary. The courthouse yard floods.
23.00 ft: Some flooding in low sections in town begins.
20.00 ft: Minor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas.
18.00 ft: The parking lot floods at WaterCress.
14.50 ft: Water flows over Spring Branch Bridge.
10.00 ft: The gravel bar at The Landing floods.
9.00 ft: Water overflows the boat access at Big Springs.
8.00 ft: Current river closed to non-motorized traffic.
2.59 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	37.20 ft	May 1, 2017
2	29.00 ft	March 26, 1904
3	27.39 ft	November 15, 1993
4	26.53 ft	November 19, 1985
5	25.90 ft	August 21, 1915
6	25.71 ft	March 20, 2008
7	24.85 ft	February 24, 1985
8	23.89 ft	December 3, 1982
9	23.12 ft	December 29, 2015
10	23.10 ft	February 10, 1966

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.27 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 64° 45° – Wind 9 mph

18 Sun 66° 39° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 73° 44° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 76° 48° – Wind 4 mph

21 Wed 78° 49° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 81° 52° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 80° 54° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min First quarter 44%

Map

Other gauges on the Current River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Current River at Montauk State ParkRiver gauge, Current River	1.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	48 mi
Current River above AkersRiver gauge, Current River	0.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	40 mi
Current River above Powder MillRiver gauge, Current River	1.90 ft	Below flood stage	±0	16 mi
Current River at DoniphanRiver gauge, Current River	−0.66 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	27 mi
Current River near ReynoRiver gauge, Current River	1.69 ft	No reference yet	+0.06 ft	45 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Spring near Van BurenRiver gauge, Big Spring	272 cfs	Very low	±0	3.0 mi
Logan Creek at EllingtonRiver gauge, Logan Creek	2.4 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	18 mi
Black River at LeeperRiver gauge, Black River	229 cfs	Low	±0	19 mi
Jacks Fork at EminenceRiver gauge, Jacks Fork	1.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	22 mi
Greer Spring at GreerRiver gauge, Greer Spring	0.48 ft	Below flood stage	±0	23 mi
Eleven Point River near BardleyRiver gauge, Eleven Point River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Jacks Fork at Alley SpringRiver gauge, Jacks Fork	1.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Black River near AnnapolisRiver gauge, Black River	3.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	27 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Current River at Van Buren?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 17.41 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 Current River at Van Buren today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 04:30 PM CDT, the water level was 2.59 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Current River at Van Buren rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Current River at Van Buren normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Current River at Van Buren?

The highest level on record is 37.20 ft on May 1, 2017.

Is Current River at Van Buren expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.60 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 01:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07067000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.99139, -91.01350 (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	2.59 ft	2026-10-17 21:30	Provisional
Flow	768 cfs	2026-10-17 21:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Current River at Van Buren (usgs:07067000). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/current-river-at-van-buren

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