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Gills Creek at Columbia water level

River gauge, Gills Creek, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.92ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
17.3 cfs
0 10 20 Highest onrecord 19.60 ft Minor floodstage 6.70 ft

History

12ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 2012ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
246ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20Minor flood stage246ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20Minor flood stage
246ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage246ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
24ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202624ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Gills Creek at Columbia is running far below normal at 0.92 ft.

That puts it 0.51 ft below the median of 1.43 ft for mid-October, based on 31 years of readings. It is 5.78 ft below the flood stage of 6.70 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.09 ft (−0.17 ft).

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 0.59 ft and 1.66 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.43 ft0.51 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.02 ft – 2.49 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year
1.09 ft−0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.59 ft – 1.66 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.59 ft – 3.98 ft
Highest on record
19.60 ftOctober 4, 2015

Floating and fishing near Gills Creek at Columbia

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 6.70 ft, 5.78 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
119.60 ftOctober 4, 2015
29.43 ftJuly 24, 1997
39.38 ftSeptember 26, 2024
49.33 ftAugust 12, 1986
58.79 ftOctober 1, 1964
68.66 ftFebruary 24, 1979
78.65 ftOctober 23, 1990
88.43 ftJanuary 8, 1993
98.25 ftDecember 25, 2009
108.07 ftAugust 15, 1998

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.13 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 77° 40° – Wind 9 mph
21 Wed 74° 48° – Wind 10 mph
22 Thu 77° 48° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 73° 53° – Wind 10 mph
24 Sat 71° 53° – Wind 12 mph
25 Sun 72° 51° – Wind 11 mph
26 Mon 76° 53° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:45 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on Gills Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Gills Creek at SC 48, near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Gills Creek 10.87 ft No reference yet −0.03 ft 3.0 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Pen Branch at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Pen Branch 0.64 ft Normal +0.01 ft 1.7 mi
Rocky Branch at Pickens St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Rocky Branch 2.67 ft Low ±0 2.9 mi
Rocky Branch at Whaley St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Rocky Branch 1.11 ft High +0.01 ft 3.1 mi
Congaree River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Congaree River 3.47 ft Normal ±0 4.3 mi
Smith Branch at North Main St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Smith Branch 0.39 ft Very low −0.01 ft 4.7 mi
Saluda River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River 3.25 ft High −0.01 ft 7 mi
Broad River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Broad River 154.05 ft Normal +0.04 ft 7 mi
Congaree Creek at South CongareeRiver gauge, Congaree Creek 2.67 ft Very low −0.68 ft 10 mi

Questions and answers

How does Gills Creek at Columbia compare with last year?

It is 0.17 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.09 ft.

What is flood stage for Gills Creek at Columbia?

The official flood stage is 6.70 ft. The level is currently 5.78 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Gills Creek at Columbia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.43 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.02 ft and 2.49 ft, based on 31 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 Gills Creek at Columbia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:00 PM EDT, the water level was 0.92 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Gills Creek at Columbia rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.41 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Gills Creek at Columbia normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 31 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:02169570 (Agency page)
Coordinates
33.98960, -80.97426 (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 0.92 ft 2026-10-20 18:00 Provisional
Flow 17.3 cfs 2026-10-20 18:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Gills Creek at Columbia (usgs:02169570). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/gills-creek-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