Meramec River level at Sullivan
Missouri · Tubing & floating
Measured at USGS 07013000 — Meramec River near Steelville, MO · NWS forecast point SEEM7
Reading taken · as of 48 min ago
Right around its normal summer float level
At 174 CFS, this gauge is running 98% of normal for mid-September — close to the 177 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 103 years of record (1923–2026).
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Flood stages at Sullivan
National Weather Service categories for gauge SEEM7, WFO LSX. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
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Major flood 25.0 ft
- 25.4 ft Water reaches the base of the railroad bridge at the gauging site.
- 27.0 ft The front porch of the office at Lucky Clover campgrounds begins flooding.
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Moderate flood 20.0 ft
- 20.0 ft A levee along the left bank upsstream of the Highway 19 bridge is overtopped near this height, flooding the campgrounds at Lucky Clover Resort.
- 21.0 ft Water begins flooding the lodge rooms at The Rafting Company near this height.
- 22.0 ft At Lucky Clover campgrounds...the pavilion is flooded and the campgrounds are evacuated and closed.
- 23.0 ft Water begins flooding the cottages at The Rafting Company campgrounds near this height.
- 24.0 ft The store and the pool at the Rafting Company just south of the Highway 19 bridge begins to flood.
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Minor flood 12.0 ft
- 12.0 ft Agricultural and recreational areas along the right bank flood. At Adventure Outdoors west of Steelville, the store begins to flood near this height.
- 14.0 ft Near this height, roads to the Lucky Clover campgrounds begin to flood.
- 16.5 ft Near this height, Missouri Route TT will be closed in both directions.
- 16.9 ft Near this height, Missouri State Route O will be closed in both directions.
- 18.5 ft Campgrounds at Bird's Nest Lodge begin to flood.
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Action 10.0 ft
- Right now 1.32 ft
Flow history at Sullivan
Daily values from USGS 07013000, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for SEEM7 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Sullivan
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 28.71 ft | 62,200 CFS | May 1, 2017 |
| 28.23 ft | 59,300 CFS | Nov 6, 2024 |
| 27.22 ft | 55,800 CFS | Jul 27, 1998 |
| 26.84 ft | 52,700 CFS | Mar 19, 2008 |
| 26.50 ft | 60,000 CFS | Aug 20, 1915 |
| 26.15 ft | 51,200 CFS | Jun 18, 1985 |
| 25.60 ft | — | Dec 4, 1982 |
| 24.87 ft | 44,700 CFS | Dec 29, 2015 |
| 24.20 ft | 47,000 CFS | Jun 9, 1945 |
| 24.10 ft | 55,000 CFS | Oct 27, 1919 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Meramec River at Sullivan
This gauge, on the Meramec above Sullivan near Steelville, is the one St. Louis checks. It is the closest genuine float river to the metro area, and on a hot Saturday the outfitters between Steelville and Sullivan put a large number of people on a river that has a well-earned reputation for coming up fast.
The Meramec is free-flowing, and its basin is steep, wooded Ozark ground that sheds water rather than absorbing it. A heavy overnight storm upstream can take this from an easy float to a no-go by mid-morning, which is why the gauge is worth checking the morning you go rather than the night before. The record range on this page shows how wide the possible values are.
Meramec River at Sullivan — common questions
5 questions
How fast does the Meramec come up after rain?
Hours, not days. There is no dam holding anything back, and the upper basin is steep Ozark hillside that sends rain straight into the channel. A storm that finishes at midnight is often visible on this gauge by dawn, and the river can go from floatable to closed inside a single morning.
Is the gauge at Sullivan itself?
No — the USGS station is near Steelville, on the stretch above Sullivan, which is the reach the liveries use. It is the standard reference for this part of the Meramec. If you are putting in well downstream, expect the water arriving there to lag what this page shows.
Does rain upstream change Meramec River at Sullivan 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 Meramec River at Sullivan high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 177 CFS, from 103 years of record (1923–2026). Today is 98% 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 07013000 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for SEEM7 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.