Cottonwood River (MN) at New Ulm, MN
River level and flood forecast · Brown County
Normal3.3 ftas of Mon 1 PM
The river is 7.7 ft below flood stage (11 ft).
Flow: 41 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 6 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 16 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 13 ft |
| Flood stage | 11 ft |
| Action stage | 9 ft |
| Record crest (April 8, 1965) | 20.86 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 22.75 ftWater impacts Cottonwood Townhouses.
- 22 ftSwimming pond at Flandrau SP closed and sandbagged for flood protection.
- 20 ftWater begins to impact residence on Butternut Street
- 19 ftAll trails at Flandrau SP closed due to flooding
- 18 ftFlood waters reach the back of the campground at Flandrau SP
- 13 ftFlood waters begin to impact Cottonwood Street west of the river.
- 11 ftFlood waters begin to impact low lying areas...and some roads along the river.
Highest crests on record
- 20.86 ft — April 8, 1965
- 19.72 ft — June 24, 2024
- 19.64 ft — July 6, 2018
- 19.15 ft — April 10, 1969
- 18.95 ft — September 26, 2010
Recent crests: 19.72 ft (June 24, 2024) · 17.22 ft (May 16, 2023) · 12.56 ft (April 14, 2023) · 10.19 ft (May 16, 2022) · 7.15 ft (March 26, 2021)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (NWUM5); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.