Little Saluda River near Saluda water level

Name: Little Saluda River near Saluda 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, Little Saluda River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.64ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT (26 min ago)

Flow: 3.8 cfs

History

7 days

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Little Saluda River near Saluda, where the gauge shows 3.64 ft.

The median for mid-October is 4.29 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.65 ft below typical. It is 11.36 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.61 ft – 3.98 ft.

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

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.29 ft0.65 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.10 ft – 5.66 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Highest on record: 23.07 ftOctober 4, 2015

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 15.00 ft.

What happens at each level

29.50 ft: Flood water begins to flow into the gage house attached to the bridge. Gage equipment will be destroyed at higher levels.
28.50 ft: Flood water begins hitting the bottom of bridge which acts as a dam to the flow.
27.00 ft: Long road bridge over the river begins to flood.
20.00 ft: Structure 0.3 miles upstream from gage begins to flood.
17.00 ft: State route 41-164 flooded with 2 feet of water.
15.00 ft: Flood stage, water begins to flood state route 41-164.
10.00 ft: Bankfull level, water begins to flow into the lowland near the river.
3.64 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.07 ft	October 4, 2015
2	19.33 ft	February 7, 2020
3	18.60 ft	September 29, 2016
4	18.57 ft	January 12, 2014
5	18.55 ft	December 23, 2015
6	18.31 ft	February 12, 2023
7	18.22 ft	April 6, 2022
8	18.20 ft	April 8, 2025
9	18.14 ft	April 18, 2022
10	18.12 ft	September 28, 2024

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:48 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Creek at Big Creek Road near SaludaRiver gauge, Big Creek	63.92 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	2.3 mi
Bush River near ProsperityRiver gauge, Bush River	2.29 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Little River near SilverstreetRiver gauge, Little River	2.58 ft	High	−0.04 ft	12 mi
Saluda River at ChappellsRiver gauge, Saluda River	1.67 ft	Low	−0.40 ft	13 mi
Lake Greenwood Tailrace near ChappellsRiver gauge, Lake Greenwood Tailrace	6.29 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	15 mi
Lake Greenwood near ChappellsLake, Lake Greenwood	438.28 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	15 mi
Chinquapin Creek near MonettaRiver gauge, Chinquapin Creek	4.09 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	18 mi
McTier Creek Road 209 near MonettaRiver gauge, McTier Creek Road 209	1.91 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	21 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Little Saluda River near Saluda?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 11.36 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Little Saluda River near Saluda in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.29 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.10 ft and 5.66 ft, based on 9 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 Little Saluda River near Saluda today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT, the water level was 3.64 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Saluda River near Saluda rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Little Saluda River near Saluda normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Little Saluda River near Saluda?

The highest level on record is 23.07 ft on October 4, 2015.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02167705 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.04458, -81.69705 (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	3.64 ft	2026-10-20 15:30	Provisional
Flow	3.8 cfs	2026-10-20 15:30	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/15192?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Little Saluda River near Saluda water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Saluda River near Saluda (usgs:02167705). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/little-saluda-river-near-saluda

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