Blackwater River level at Milton
Florida · Tubing & floating
Measured at USGS 02370000 — BLACKWATER RIVER NR BAKER, FLA. · NWS forecast point BAKF1
Reading taken · as of 1 hour ago
Up and moving — a faster float than usual
At 220 CFS, this gauge is running 156% of normal for mid-September — above the 141 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 73 years of record (1950–2026).
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Flood stages at Milton
National Weather Service categories for gauge BAKF1, WFO MOB. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
-
Major flood 24.0 ft
- 24.0 ft Highway 4 bridge is closed.
-
Moderate flood 16.0 ft
- 16.0 ft Some residential flooding occurs downstream from the Highway 4 bridge.
- 23.0 ft Water reaches eaves of buildings in Cotton Bridge Park.
-
Minor flood 11.0 ft
- 11.0 ft Minor flooding of secondary roads and lowlands from the Highway 4 Bridge downstream.
- 14.5 ft Flooding of Cotton Ridge Park in Baker begins.
-
Action 6.0 ft
- 9.5 ft Kennedy and Peaden Bridges are flooded upstream of Highway 4 bridge.
- Right now 1.91 ft
Flow history at Milton
Daily values from USGS 02370000, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for BAKF1 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Milton
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 25.68 ft | 26,500 CFS | Sep 29, 1998 |
| 25.61 ft | 26,200 CFS | Jun 4, 1990 |
| 25.00 ft | — | Oct 6, 1995 |
| 24.99 ft | 24,400 CFS | Mar 17, 1990 |
| 24.55 ft | 23,100 CFS | Sep 17, 2020 |
| 23.05 ft | — | Mar 9, 1998 |
| 22.97 ft | 18,800 CFS | Sep 17, 1988 |
| 22.97 ft | 18,600 CFS | Jul 31, 1975 |
| 21.66 ft | 15,800 CFS | Mar 29, 2009 |
| 20.80 ft | 17,200 CFS | Dec 4, 1953 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Blackwater River at Milton
In Florida — the reading paddlers, anglers and outfitters here check before committing to a shuttle. Heaviest Panhandle tubing cluster.
Blackwater River at Milton — common questions
3 questions
Does rain upstream change Blackwater River at Milton quickly?
Yes. It is free-flowing, so rain upstream moves it directly. Several feet in a few hours is normal after a heavy storm.
Is Blackwater River at Milton high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 141 CFS, from 73 years of record (1950–2026). Today is 156% of it. The comparison is what makes the raw number mean anything: the same reading is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 02370000 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for BAKF1 a few times a day — more often when the river is rising. This page refreshes from both when you open it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.