Lake Murray Tailrace near Columbia water level

Name: Lake Murray Tailrace near 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, Lake Murray Tailrace, South Carolina, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

75.76ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

High water at Lake Murray Tailrace near Columbia: the latest reading is 75.76 ft, above normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 73.40 ft, based on 26 years of readings, so the river stage is 2.36 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 76.23 ft, a difference of −0.47 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 74.24 ft – 75.85 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 73.40 ft2.36 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 72.54 ft – 75.84 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 76.23 ft−0.47 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 74.24 ft – 75.85 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 73.52 ft – 79.27 ft

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.11 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 76° 43° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 74° 48° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 76° 49° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 73° 49° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 70° 50° – Wind 14 mph

25 Sun 72° 46° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 75° 49° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Murray near ColumbiaLake, Lake Murray	354.18 ft	Very low	−0.06 ft	0.2 mi
Saluda River below Lake Murray Dam near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River	5.77 ft	High	±0	0.4 mi
Twelve Mile Creek at LexingtonRiver gauge, Twelve Mile Creek	3.66 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	5.3 mi
Saluda River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River	3.26 ft	High	±0	8 mi
Broad River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Broad River	154.06 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	8 mi
Smith Branch at North Main St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Smith Branch	0.40 ft	Very low	±0	10 mi
Congaree River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Congaree River	3.47 ft	Normal	±0	10 mi
Congaree Creek at South CongareeRiver gauge, Congaree Creek	2.67 ft	Very low	−0.51 ft	11 mi

Questions and answers

Is Lake Murray Tailrace near Columbia higher than last year?

No, it is 0.47 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 76.23 ft.

What is a normal level for Lake Murray Tailrace near Columbia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 73.40 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 72.54 ft and 75.84 ft, based on 26 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 Lake Murray Tailrace near Columbia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT, the water level was 75.76 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Murray Tailrace near Columbia rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Murray Tailrace near Columbia normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02168501 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.05348, -81.21676 (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	75.76 ft	2026-10-20 16:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Murray Tailrace near Columbia (usgs:02168501). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/lake-murray-tailrace-near-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