James River at Galena water level

Name: James River at Galena 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, James River, Missouri, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.97ft Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 03:15 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 170 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.90 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 01:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 08:48 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at James River at Galena, where the gauge shows 3.97 ft.

It is 11.03 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.90 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 01:00 AM. The 30-day range is 3.97 ft – 4.13 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 35.97 ftApril 30, 2017
Forecast peak: 4.00 ftSaturday, October 17 at 01:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 15.00 ft.

What happens at each level

35.97 ft: This is the record crest set April 30, 2017. (957.44 feet MSL)
35.96 ft: This is the crest set on March 19 2008. Flood waters reach the door of the Water Treatment Plant. Galena High School Park floods. (957.43 FT MSL)
34.00 ft: Flood waters reach the Liberty Bank Building and other businesses near the river. Flood waters also approach the Post Office and portions of the High School Park. (955 FT MSL)
33.93 ft: Approximate level of the one percent chance flood. (955.00 ft MSL)
33.46 ft: Flood waters reach the ground floor of some homes on the east side of town, and approach the water treatment plant. This was the crest level during the 1993 floods. (954.53 FT MSL)
31.00 ft: Major flooding affects the gage site. Flood waters impact some residences in Galena near the river. (952 FT MSL)
30.00 ft: The rental building at Shoals Canoe Resort floods. (951 FT MSL)
29.00 ft: The excavation site near the river floods. (950 FT MSL)
28.00 ft: Some homes in Hootentown upstream of the gage site flood. (949 FT MSL)
27.00 ft: The highway 413 bridge over Railey Creek south of the gage site floods. (948 FT MSL)
25.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs at the gage site. Flood waters reach the floor of the 413 bridge over Railey Creek near the confluence with the James River south of the gage site. (946 FT MSL)
17.50 ft: Flood waters reach the second window level of the restrooms at the James River Outfitter Canoe Park area. (938.5 FT MSL)
3.97 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	35.97 ft	April 30, 2017
2	35.96 ft	March 19, 2008
3	34.10 ft	December 28, 2015
4	33.46 ft	September 25, 1993
5	30.95 ft	April 26, 2011
6	27.97 ft	July 1, 1973
7	26.89 ft	December 4, 1982
8	26.20 ft	May 9, 1961
9	26.14 ft	June 20, 2015
10	25.29 ft	February 24, 1985

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.73 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 40° – Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 68° 40° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 72° 44° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 74° 49° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 78° 50° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 81° 55° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 81° 57° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:36 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min First quarter 43%

Map

Other gauges on the James River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
James River near SpringfieldRiver gauge, James River	4.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	28 mi
James River near BoazRiver gauge, James River	2.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	15 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Flat Creek below JenkinsRiver gauge, Flat Creek	3.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	9 mi
Finley Creek below RiverdaleRiver gauge, Finley Creek	0.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	14 mi
Bull Creek near Walnut ShadeRiver gauge, Bull Creek	0.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	15 mi
Lake Taneycomo at School of the OzarksLake, Lake Taneycomo	700.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	18 mi
Turkey Creek near HollisterRiver gauge, Turkey Creek	2.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	21 mi
Wilson Creek near BrooklineRiver gauge, Wilson Creek	2.53 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	24 mi
South Creek near SpringfieldRiver gauge, South Creek	−1.12 ft	Below flood stage	±0	25 mi
Yocum Creek near Oak GroveRiver gauge, Yocum Creek	15.7 cfs	Normal	−2.2 cfs	25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the James River at Galena?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 11.03 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 James River at Galena today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 03:15 PM CDT, the water level was 3.97 ft. Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is James River at Galena rising or falling?

Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of James River at Galena normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at James River at Galena?

The highest level on record is 35.97 ft on April 30, 2017.

Is James River at Galena expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.90 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 01:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:07052500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.80539, -93.46158 (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	3.97 ft	2026-10-17 20:15	Provisional
Flow	170 cfs	2026-10-17 20:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: James River at Galena (usgs:07052500). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/missouri/james-river-at-galena

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