Blackwater River near Blue Lick, MO
River level and flood forecast · Saline County
Normal6.8 ftas of Mon 2:45 PM
The river is 17.2 ft below flood stage (24 ft).
Flow: 10 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 | 37 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 29 ft |
| Flood stage | 24 ft |
| Action stage | 19 ft |
| Record crest (October 3, 1986) | 41.53 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 37 ftCounty Road 339 also known as Old U.S. Highway 65 is flooded about 0.2 miles north of the Blackwater River.
- 31 ftThe Missouri-Pacific railroad tracks are overtopped.
- 29 ftLivestock in pastures along the river may be endangered. Extensive damage also occurs to cropland and pasture.
- 24 ftCropland and pastures along the river flood.
Highest crests on record
- 41.53 ft — October 3, 1986
- 36.25 ft — May 18, 1990
- 35.36 ft — May 20, 1995
- 35.15 ft — April 13, 1994
- 34.84 ft — June 8, 2001
Recent crests: 27.31 ft (June 14, 2026) · 25.04 ft (May 31, 2026) · 26.38 ft (May 20, 2026) · 29.67 ft (May 1, 2026) · 31.01 ft (April 5, 2026)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (BLVM7); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.