TornadoLiveMap

Minnesota River at Ortonville — water level right now

Big Stone County, Minnesota · NWS gauge ORTM5
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
10
minor flood stage
 
13.02
record crest
set 2023-04-12
–
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 · 9
minor · 10
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Minor flood stage10low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage9water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
113.022023-04-12+3.02 above
212.921952-04-13+2.92 above
312.851997-04-10+2.85 above
412.842010-03-20+2.84 above
512.091969-04-13+2.09 above
612.062001-04-14+2.06 above
711.611979-04-25+1.61 above
811.482007-03-13+1.48 above
911.321978-04-06+1.32 above
1011.052019-03-22+1.05 above
11111947-04-16+1 above
1210.761989-03-27+0.76 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 Branch Lac Qui Parle River at Dawson 32 mi away · loading… Mustinka River at Wheaton 36 mi away · loading… 12 Mile Creek above Wheaton 39 mi away · loading… Bois de Sioux River at White Rock Dam 40 mi away · loading… Minnesota River at Montevideo 43 mi away · loading… Minnesota River at Granite Falls 55 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDORTM5
USGS site05292000
CountyBig Stone
StateMinnesota
NWS forecast officeAberdeen
River forecast centerNorth Central River Forecast Center
Coordinates45.296, -96.444
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 Minnesota River at Ortonville

Is Minnesota River at Ortonville 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 10 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Minnesota River at Ortonville?

minor flood stage 10 ft, action stage 9 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Minnesota River at Ortonville?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 13.02 ft, reached on 2023-04-12 — that is 3.02 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 Aberdeen and local emergency management.