South Kawishiwi River near Ely, MN

Lake County, Minnesota · USGS gauge 05125000 · NWS SKRM5 · South Kawishiwi River flood status · Minnesota river levels

Nearby: river levels near Ely

Is South Kawishiwi River near Ely, MN flooding right now?

South Kawishiwi River near Ely, MN measured 1.83 ft on 2026-09-11 01:30:00 UTC. That observation was 4.7 ft below its 6.5 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
1.83 ft
as of 62 min ago
Streamflow
71 cfs
data refreshed 14 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 6.5 ft, with major flooding at 8.5 ft. The highest crest on record was 7.25 ft on Tue, May 4, 1954.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 15 hours ago. The NWM models discharge for every river reach in the country, including the many gauges the National Weather Service does not forecast individually. It is a model, not an official NWS river forecast, and it predicts flow rather than water level.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action5.5 ft3.7 ft below
Minor flood6.5 ft4.7 ft below
Moderate flood7.5 ft5.7 ft below
Major flood8.5 ft6.7 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

StageDate
7.25 ft1954-05-04
7.18 ft1976-04-21
6.88 ft1957-04-29
6.88 ft2022-05-17
6.63 ft2024-06-24

Last 7 days

Past 7 days · 1.81–1.95 ft

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Filson Creek In Swse Sec. 24, near Winton, MN1.2 miLake County
South Kawishiwi River above White Iron Lake near Ely, MN4.8 miLake County
Keeley Creek above Mouth near Babbitt, MN5.6 miLake County
Kawishiwi River near Ely, MN9.4 miLake County
Basswood River near Winton, MN16.8 miLake County
Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast