TornadoLiveMap

Milk River near Saco — water level right now

Phillips County, Montana · NWS gauge SACM8
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
20
minor flood stage
 
26.7
record crest
set 1986-03-04
–
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 · 18
minor · 20
moderate · 22
major · 24
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage24extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage22some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage20low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage18water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
126.71986-03-04+6.7 above
226.242023-04-14+6.24 above
324.451986-10-01+4.45 above
424.381997-03-24+4.38 above
524.31979-03-21+4.3 above
624.222018-04-23+4.22 above
724.21978-04-03+4.2 above
823.071997-03-29+3.07 above
922.951996-03-18+2.95 above
1022.072011-04-14+2.07 above
1121.962019-03-25+1.96 above
1221.612016-10-08+1.61 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

Beaver Creek (MT) near Hinsdale 7 mi away · loading… Beaver Creek (MT) near Saco 20 mi away · loading… Milk River near Tampico 23 mi away · loading… Milk River at Malta 31 mi away · loading… Frenchman Creek (MT) near Intl Boundary 34 mi away · loading… Milk River near Glasgow 37 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDSACM8
USGS site06164510
CountyPhillips
StateMontana
NWS forecast officeGlasgow
River forecast centerMissouri Basin River Forecast Center
Coordinates48.509, -107.219
Time zoneMST7MDT
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 Milk River near Saco

Is Milk River near Saco 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 20 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Milk River near Saco?

major flood stage 24 ft, moderate flood stage 22 ft, minor flood stage 20 ft, action stage 18 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Milk River near Saco?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 26.7 ft, reached on 1986-03-04 — that is 6.7 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 Glasgow and local emergency management.