Meramec River near Steelville, MO
River level and flood forecast · Crawford County
Normal1.3 ftas of Mon 2:15 PM
The river is 10.7 ft below flood stage (12 ft).
Flow: 152 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 | 25 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 20 ft |
| Flood stage | 12 ft |
| Action stage | 10 ft |
| Record crest (May 1, 2017) | 28.71 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 27 ftThe front porch of the office at Lucky Clover campgrounds begins flooding.
- 25.4 ftWater reaches the base of the railroad bridge at the gauging site.
- 24 ftThe store and the pool at the Rafting Company just south of the Highway 19 bridge begins to flood.
- 23 ftWater begins flooding the cottages at The Rafting Company campgrounds near this height.
- 22 ftAt Lucky Clover campgrounds...the pavilion is flooded and the campgrounds are evacuated and closed.
- 21 ftWater begins flooding the lodge rooms at The Rafting Company near this height.
- 20 ftA levee along the left bank upsstream of the Highway 19 bridge is overtopped near this height, flooding the campgrounds at Lucky Clover Resort.
- 18.5 ftCampgrounds at Bird's Nest Lodge begin to flood.
- 16.9 ftNear this height, Missouri State Route O will be closed in both directions.
- 16.5 ftNear this height, Missouri Route TT will be closed in both directions.
- 14 ftNear this height, roads to the Lucky Clover campgrounds begin to flood.
- 12 ftAgricultural and recreational areas along the right bank flood. At Adventure Outdoors west of Steelville, the store begins to flood near this height.
- 9 ftAt Adventure Outdoors west of Steelville, the campgrounds become flooded near this height.
- 8 ftBetween 8 and 10 feet, many riverside campground sites at Bird's Nest Lodge River Resort begin flooding.
- 4 ftAt this height, the top of a low water bridge near Adventure Outdoors west of Steelville begins flooding.
Highest crests on record
- 28.71 ft — May 1, 2017
- 28.23 ft — November 6, 2024
- 27.22 ft — July 27, 1998
- 26.84 ft — March 19, 2008
- 26.15 ft — June 18, 1985
Recent crests: 19.25 ft (July 11, 2026) · 14.98 ft (March 8, 2026) · 15.77 ft (March 6, 2026) · 22.15 ft (June 30, 2025) · 18 ft (April 6, 2025)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (SEEM7); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.