Wisconsin River below Wisconsin Rapids Dam, WI
River level and flood forecast · Wood County
The river is 12.3 ft below flood stage (991 ft).
Flow: 1,650 cubic feet per second (USGS).
Lower than normal for October 14.
Usual for October 14: 2,120 to 4,040 cubic feet per second (the middle half of 105 years).
River camera
Watch the time-lapse
Camera by the U.S. Geological Survey. Most take a picture every hour, some every few minutes; many stop at night.
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.
Flow against normal, the last 60 days
Each day's average flow from USGS. The shaded band is the middle half of past years on the same date (105 years); the dashed line is their median.
Get flood alerts for this river
An email when the National Weather Service forecasts Wisconsin River below Wisconsin Rapids Dam to flood, when it floods, and when it's over.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 993.5 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 992.5 ft |
| Flood stage | 991 ft |
| Action stage | 989 ft |
| Record crest (September 25, 2010) | 993.27 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 993.3 ftUp to 3 feet of water is covering 2nd Avenue near a State Office Building. Up to 3 feet of water covers 1st and 2nd Streets with flood waters spreading into 3rd Street and Market Street. The Grand Avenue and Jackson Street Bridges may be impacted.
- 992.6 ftThe water current is extremely dangerous at 78500 cubic feet per second downstream of the dam. Flood waters are near the bottom of the Jackson Street and Grand Avenue bridges. Up to 2 feet of water covers 1st and 2nd Streets and flood waters reach the County Courthouse. Up to 2 feet of water cover sections of Gaynor Avenue and South Second Avenue near a roundabout by the State Office building.
- 992.3 ftUp to a foot of water covers portions of 2nd Avenue near Gaynor Avenue and up to a foot of water covers 1st and 2nd Streets just downstream of the dam.
- 991.3 ftFlood waters cover 1st Street and approach 2nd Street. Flood waters also approach 2nd Avenue near Gaynor Avenue. The current is fast especially downstream of the dam.
- 989.8 ftWater is near a building at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Gaynor Avenue. Playground equipment in Lions park is surrounded by water.
- 987.8 ftWater covers a walkway in Lions Park in Wisconsin Rapids.
Highest crests on record
- 993.27 ft — September 25, 2010
- 992.6 ft — March 24, 1935
- 991.9 ft — September 11, 1938
- 991.73 ft — March 18, 2016
- 991.41 ft — April 12, 2011
Recent crests: 991.73 ft (March 18, 2016) · 991.41 ft (April 12, 2011) · 993.27 ft (September 25, 2010) · 990.9 ft (June 21, 1993) · 991 ft (April 3, 1967)
Highest flow on record
82,200 cubic feet per second — September 25, 2010. From the USGS's yearly peaks since 1914.
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (WDSW3); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.