Congaree River at Columbia water level

Name: Congaree River at Columbia water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Congaree River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.56ft Down 0.55 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 3,700 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:10 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Congaree River at Columbia is at 3.56 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.51 ft, based on 41 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.05 ft above typical. It is 15.44 ft below the flood stage of 19.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.83 ft, a difference of −0.27 ft.

It has dropped 0.55 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.20 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 2.69 ft and 10.84 ft.

Compared with 41 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.51 ft0.05 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.39 ft – 5.19 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (41 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.83 ft−0.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.69 ft – 10.84 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.58 ft – 10.84 ft
Highest on record: 39.80 ftAugust 27, 1908
Forecast peak: 4.20 ftWednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Congaree River at Columbia

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 19.00 ft, 15.44 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

33.00 ft: Water reaches the intersection of Fort Congaree Trail and Clovis Pointe Way.
29.00 ft: The eastern end of the Cayce Tennis Center parking lot begins to flood.
28.00 ft: Flooding begins in low lying areas of the Riverland Park subdivision in Cayce.
24.50 ft: The Cayce Riverwalk Phase 4 access on Fort Congaree Trail is flooded.
24.00 ft: Flooding also occurs in the Cayce Quarry.
23.00 ft: Granby Landing Boat Ramp is completely covered in water.
19.00 ft: Extensive swampland and large areas of farmland and pasture land downstream from Columbia become flooded.
18.50 ft: Water reaches the bottom of West Columbia Amphitheater.
16.00 ft: Old State Road below Cayce becomes flooded.
14.00 ft: Roads in low lying areas and swampland downstream from Columbia become flooded. Most of the Cayce and West Columbia Riverwalks are flooded.
10.00 ft: Flooding becomes more extensive along the West Columbia and Cayce Riverwalks.
8.00 ft: The lowest parts of the West Columbia and Cayce Riverwalks begin to flood.
3.56 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	39.80 ft	August 27, 1908
2	35.50 ft	July 17, 1916
3	33.50 ft	August 18, 1928
4	33.34 ft	April 8, 1936
5	33.10 ft	October 3, 1929
6	31.81 ft	October 4, 2015
7	30.70 ft	March 17, 1912
8	30.58 ft	September 30, 2024
9	29.74 ft	October 11, 1976
10	29.19 ft	February 9, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.16 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 65° 45° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 69° 45° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 77° 49° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 75° 53° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 77° 54° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 75° 55° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 68° 52° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 14 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the Congaree River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Congaree River at Congaree Np near GadsdenRiver gauge, Congaree River	5.73 ft	Normal	−0.27 ft	16 mi
Congaree River at U.s. Highway 601 near Fort MotteRiver gauge, Congaree River	78.50 ft	No reference yet	−0.70 ft	29 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rocky Branch at Whaley St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Rocky Branch	1.10 ft	Normal	±0	1.3 mi
Rocky Branch at Pickens St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Rocky Branch	2.67 ft	Low	±0	1.5 mi
Smith Branch at North Main St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Smith Branch	0.39 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	2.4 mi
Saluda River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River	3.27 ft	High	−0.02 ft	2.6 mi
Broad River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Broad River	154.10 ft	Normal	−0.46 ft	4.0 mi
Pen Branch at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Pen Branch	0.62 ft	Normal	±0	4.1 mi
Gills Creek at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Gills Creek	0.96 ft	Very low	−0.11 ft	4.3 mi
Congaree Creek at South CongareeRiver gauge, Congaree Creek	3.42 ft	Normal	−0.15 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Congaree River at Columbia higher than last year?

No, it is 0.27 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.83 ft.

What is flood stage for the Congaree River at Columbia?

The official flood stage is 19.00 ft. The level is currently 15.44 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Congaree River at Columbia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.51 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.39 ft and 5.19 ft, based on 41 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 Congaree River at Columbia today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT, the water level was 3.56 ft. Down 0.55 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Congaree River at Columbia rising or falling?

Down 0.55 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 6.93 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Congaree River at Columbia normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 41 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:02169500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.99321, -81.04982 (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

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	3.56 ft	2026-10-19 03:00	Provisional
Flow	3,700 cfs	2026-10-19 03:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Congaree River at Columbia (usgs:02169500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/congaree-river-at-columbia

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