Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie in LA, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location LA, United States
- Watershed amite
- Primary gauge 07380101 (USGS)
About Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie
Bayou Manchac near Little Prairie is a gauged river in the Amite watershed, Louisiana.
Season by season
In this part of the Gulf lowland, water can stay high for days after rain, and the seasonal pattern matters more than a single reading. The typical high point comes in October at 2.56 ft (0.78 m), while the typical low point comes in July at 1.96 ft (0.6 m). That spread is 7.2 in (18.4 cm), which is not large, so a small change in stage can matter for docks, access points, and shallow crossings.
For people who fish here, the monthly range says the bayou usually runs close to the same level through the year, but autumn tends to sit a little higher than midsummer. For cottagers and anyone with an intake near the bank, that means the ordinary swing is modest, yet the water can still linger after a rain event.
Records and rises
The highest level in the record is 18.1 ft (5.52 m), reached in August 2016. The lowest is 0.73 ft (0.22 m), set in August 1998. Those two marks show the range this station has seen, from very low water to a flood stage far above the usual seasonal band.
The record gives 32 years of observations here. It does not list a fastest 24-hour rise, so there is no approved warning-rate number to quote for this station.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page should be read against the median stage for the same calendar day, not just as a raw height. That comparison shows whether Bayou Manchac is running above or below its usual level for today, which is what matters when deciding on access, bank conditions, or whether to watch for a prolonged high-water spell.
This station is monitored by the USGS, and its record spans more than 32 years.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
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The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
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Why Central and South Texas rivers go from gravel beds to fifty-year records in an afternoon - including July 2026 on the Nueces.
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How every number is computed - About the platform
