TornadoLiveMap

Cottonwood River (MN) above Springfield — water level right now

Brown County, Minnesota · NWS gauge SPFM5
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
24
minor flood stage
 
32.89
record crest
set 2010-09-24
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 21
minor · 24
moderate · 27
major · 32
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage32extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage27some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage24low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage21water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
132.892010-09-24+8.89 above
232.812018-07-04+8.81 above
332.72001-04-24+8.7 above
431.551969-04-08+7.55 above
531.41993-06-18+7.4 above
630.912024-06-23+6.91 above
730.062011-03-23+6.06 above
829.582018-06-22+5.58 above
929.492019-03-23+5.49 above
1029.121984-06-25+5.12 above
1128.791983-05-08+4.79 above
1228.771997-03-29+4.77 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

West Fork Des Moines River above Windom 22 mi away · loading… Redwood River at Redwood Falls 23 mi away · loading… Minnesota River near Morton 24 mi away · loading… West Fork Des Moines River near Avoca 29 mi away · loading… Cottonwood River (MN) at New Ulm 31 mi away · loading… Minnesota River at New Ulm 31 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDSPFM5
USGS site05316950
CountyBrown
StateMinnesota
NWS forecast officeChanhassen
River forecast centerNorth Central River Forecast Center
Coordinates44.203, -95.048
Time zoneCST6CDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Cottonwood River (MN) above Springfield

Is Cottonwood River (MN) above Springfield flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 24 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Cottonwood River (MN) above Springfield?

major flood stage 32 ft, moderate flood stage 27 ft, minor flood stage 24 ft, action stage 21 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Cottonwood River (MN) above Springfield?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 32.89 ft, reached on 2010-09-24 — that is 8.89 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Chanhassen and local emergency management.