TornadoLiveMap

Middle Branch Ontonagon River at Paulding — water level right now

Ontonagon County, Michigan · NWS gauge PAUM4
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
12
minor flood stage
 
10.9
record crest
set 2023-04-16
–
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 · 11
minor · 12
moderate · 14
major · 16
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage16extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage14some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage12low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage11water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
110.92023-04-161.1 below
210.62002-04-171.4 below
310.412019-04-241.59 below
410.071960-04-251.93 below
5101951-04-302 below
69.572013-05-012.43 below
79.532022-04-262.47 below
89.421953-07-022.58 below
99.312003-05-132.69 below
109.312020-04-302.69 below
119.161985-04-212.84 below
129.151944-06-062.85 below

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

Ontonagon River near Rockland 26 mi away · loading… West Branch Ontonagon River near Bergland 27 mi away · loading… Sturgeon River near Sidnaw 29 mi away · loading… Iron River at Caspian 30 mi away · loading… Sturgeon River near Alston 32 mi away · loading… Paint River at Crystal Falls 39 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDPAUM4
USGS site04033000
CountyOntonagon
StateMichigan
NWS forecast officeNegaunee
River forecast centerNorth Central River Forecast Center
Coordinates46.357, -89.077
Time zoneEST5EDT
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 Middle Branch Ontonagon River at Paulding

Is Middle Branch Ontonagon River at Paulding 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 12 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Middle Branch Ontonagon River at Paulding?

major flood stage 16 ft, moderate flood stage 14 ft, minor flood stage 12 ft, action stage 11 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Middle Branch Ontonagon River at Paulding?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 10.9 ft, reached on 2023-04-16 — that is -1.1 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 Negaunee and local emergency management.