2026-03-12T21:00:00-06:00
The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Fire Weather Watch for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect from Friday morning through Friday evening. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248 and 249. * TIMING...For the Red Flag Warning, from 11 AM to 9 PM MDT Thursday. For the Fire Weather Watch, from Friday morning through Friday evening. * WINDS...On Thursday, west winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts 45 to 70 mph for the northern plains and locations west of I-25, and west winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph elsewhere. On Friday, west winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts 30 to 50 mph, strongest near the Cheyenne Ridge. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...12 to 18 percent, driest roughly along and south of I-70 and around the Denver metro. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a wildfire.
Summary
Total streamflow across the
Manistee River
was last observed at
6,790
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
13,468
acre-ft of water today; about 134%
of normal.
River levels are high.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
5,079 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2014-04-15 when daily discharge volume was observed at
13,750 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Manistee River Near Wellston
reporting a streamflow rate of 3,020 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Manistee River Near Sherman
with a gauge stage of 14.06 ft.
This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Manistee River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 820 ft, the
Manistee River Near Sherman.
15-Day Weather Outlook
River Details
| Last Updated | 2026-03-11 |
| Discharge Volume | 13,468 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
6,790.0 cfs
+210.0 cfs (+3.19%) |
| Percent of Normal | 133.7% |
| Maximum |
13,750.0 cfs
2014-04-15 |
| Seasonal Avg | 5,079 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Manistee River Near Sherman
USGS 04124000 |
1850 cfs | 14.06 ft | 5.71 | |||||
|
Manistee River Near Mesick
USGS 04124200 |
1920 cfs | 4.82 ft | 4.92 | |||||
|
Manistee River Near Wellston
USGS 04125550 |
3020 cfs | 9.5 ft | 0.67 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Manistee River in the U.S. state of Michigan, runs 190 miles (310 km) through the northwestern Lower Peninsula; it now passes through the contemporary villages of Sharon, Smithville, and Mesick, entering Lake Michigan at Manistee. It is considered, like the nearby Au Sable River, to be one of the best trout fisheries east of the Rockies.
The river rises in the sand hills in southeastern Antrim County, on the border with Otsego County, about 6 miles (10 km) southeast of the town of Alba. These deep glacial sands provide it with a remarkably stable flow of clean cold water year round, making it a popular river for fishing as well as canoeing. Over the course of its length, it drops in elevation from around 1,250 to 579 feet (381 to 176 m), with an average stream gradient of about 2.9 feet per mile (55 cm/km).