Middle Branch Ontonagon River at Paulding, MI
River level and flood forecast · Ontonagon County
The river is 7.8 ft below flood stage (12 ft).
Flow: 106 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 7 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Middle Branch Ontonagon River at Paulding to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 16 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 14 ft |
| Flood stage | 12 ft |
| Action stage | 11 ft |
| Record crest (April 16, 2023) | 10.9 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 14 ftWater is flowing over the bridge on Forest Highway 5250
- 12 ftWater reaches the bottom of the bridge on Forest Highway 5250 and backwater effects begin to occur. The bridge may be unsafe to cross at higher river levels
- 11 ftWater begins to impact low lying areas near the bridge on Interior Road...also known as Forest Highway 5250
Highest crests on record
- 10.9 ft — April 16, 2023
- 10.6 ft — April 17, 2002
- 10.41 ft — April 24, 2019
- 10.07 ft — April 25, 1960
- 10 ft — April 30, 1951
Recent crests: 5.68 ft (June 23, 2024) · 10.9 ft (April 16, 2023) · 9.53 ft (April 26, 2022) · 9.31 ft (April 30, 2020) · 10.41 ft (April 24, 2019)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (PAUM4); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.