Willow Creek near Willow City Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Willow Creek near Willow City in ND, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location ND, United States
- Watershed willow 0004
- Primary gauge 05123400 (USGS)
About Willow Creek near Willow City
Willow Creek near Willow City sits in the Willow watershed in North Dakota.
What the record shows
The station record spans more than 50 years. The highest level in that span was 15.74 ft (4.8 m) in July 2005. The lowest was 2.68 ft (0.82 m) in March 2008.
The seasonal pattern is clear enough to plan around. The typical high point is in April at 7.08 ft (2.16 m), and the typical low point is in January at 4.69 ft (1.43 m). That spread is 28.7 in (72.8 cm) over the year. For a dock, intake, or crossing, that means the creek does not stay at one working level for long; spring can bring a much higher stage than midwinter, and late winter can leave the channel much lower.
No fastest 24-hour rise is listed here, so there is no station-specific warning rate to add.
The watershed
The gauge drains 1060 sq mi (2745 km2) upstream of this station. On the northern prairies, spring snowmelt floods on frozen ground are the main seasonal event, and very flat drainage can hold high water for weeks. In practical terms, that is the part of the year when low spots, field approaches, and bank access are most likely to stay wet longer than people expect.
For people living or fishing on the creek, the record says the water can range from winter lows to a much higher spring or summer stage. That kind of range matters for shoreline access, small boats, and anything fixed near the bank.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page is the current reading compared with the median for this calendar day, not just the raw elevation. That comparison is better because the same stage means different things at different times of year on Willow Creek.
This USGS station has more than 50 years of record, so the day-of-year median is built from a long local history rather than a single season.
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
