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Broad River at Alston water level

River gauge, Broad River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.63ft Down 0.49 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
1,580 cfs
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 29.48 ft Minor floodstage 20.00 ft

History

5101520ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19Minor flood stage5101520ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19Minor flood stage
5101520ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19Minor flood stage5101520ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19Minor flood stage
1020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage1020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Broad River at Alston, where the gauge shows 3.63 ft.

That puts it 0.46 ft below the median of 4.10 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. It is 16.37 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.54 ft (+0.09 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.49 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.29 ft – 12.95 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
4.10 ft0.46 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.12 ft – 5.75 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year
3.54 ft+0.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.29 ft – 12.95 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3.22 ft – 12.95 ft
Highest on record
29.48 ftSeptember 30, 2024

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 20.00 ft.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
129.48 ftSeptember 30, 2024
229.02 ftJune 7, 1903
327.99 ftFebruary 8, 2020
426.94 ftOctober 14, 1990
526.87 ftOctober 5, 1990
625.90 ftMarch 3, 1987
725.90 ftMarch 3, 1985
825.83 ftMarch 2, 1987
924.93 ftJanuary 11, 2024
1024.91 ftAugust 30, 1995

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 13 min First quarter 57%

Map

Other gauges on the Broad River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Broad River near Boiling SpringsRiver gauge, Broad River 1.88 ft Normal −0.10 ft 70 mi
Broad River near BlacksburgRiver gauge, Broad River 3.09 ft Normal −0.25 ft 63 mi
Broad River below Ninetynine Island ReservoirRiver gauge, Broad River 26.57 ft Normal +0.25 ft 55 mi
Broad River below Neal Shoals Reservoir near CarlisleRiver gauge, Broad River 3.87 ft No reference yet −0.45 ft 30 mi
Broad River near CarlisleRiver gauge, Broad River 2.89 ft Normal −0.24 ft 25 mi
Broad River near JenkinsvilleRiver gauge, Broad River 221.32 ft Normal −0.44 ft 1.4 mi
Broad River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Broad River 154.07 ft Normal −0.46 ft 19 mi
Broad River near BeaufortRiver gauge, Broad River 3.22 ft No reference yet +1.85 ft 132 mi
Broad River above CarltonRiver gauge, Broad River 0.75 ft Very low −0.01 ft 97 mi
Broad River near BellRiver gauge, Broad River 3.42 ft Below flood stage −0.06 ft 85 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Parr Shoals Reservoir at ParrReservoir, Parr Shoals Reservoir 262.81 ft Very high −1.57 ft 1.4 mi
Lake Murray near ColumbiaLake, Lake Murray 354.32 ft Very low −0.08 ft 14 mi
Lake Murray Tailrace near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Lake Murray Tailrace 75.79 ft Very high −0.05 ft 14 mi
Saluda River below Lake Murray Dam near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River 5.77 ft High −0.07 ft 15 mi
Bush River near ProsperityRiver gauge, Bush River 2.30 ft Very high −0.11 ft 17 mi
Twelve Mile Creek at LexingtonRiver gauge, Twelve Mile Creek 3.69 ft Normal −0.07 ft 19 mi
Saluda River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River 3.26 ft High −0.03 ft 21 mi
Smith Branch at North Main St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Smith Branch 0.40 ft Very low ±0 22 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Broad River at Alston compare with last year?

It is 0.09 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.54 ft.

What is flood stage for the Broad River at Alston?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 16.37 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Broad River at Alston in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.10 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.12 ft and 5.75 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Broad River at Alston today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:30 AM EDT, the water level was 3.63 ft. Down 0.49 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Broad River at Alston rising or falling?

Down 0.49 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 9.32 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Broad River at Alston normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:02161000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
34.24320, -81.31954 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NAVD88
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 3.63 ft 2026-10-19 08:30 Provisional
Flow 1,580 cfs 2026-10-19 08:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Broad River at Alston (usgs:02161000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/broad-river-at-alston

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer