Lynches River at Effingham water level

Name: Lynches River at Effingham 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, Lynches River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.52ft Down 0.38 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 08:00 AM EDT (15 min ago)

Flow: 244 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Lynches River at Effingham: the gauge reads 2.52 ft, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.92 ft below the median of 3.44 ft for mid-October, based on 40 years of readings. It is 11.48 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.36 ft (−1.84 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.38 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.28 ft – 3.76 ft.

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

Compared with 40 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.44 ft0.92 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.90 ft – 10.08 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (40 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.36 ft−1.84 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.28 ft – 3.76 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.24 ft – 7.87 ft
Highest on record: 21.21 ftSeptember 22, 1945
Lowest on record: 0.72 ftAugust 13, 2002

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 14.00 ft.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: Near record flooding will occur.
18.00 ft: Extensive flooding will occur.
17.50 ft: Extensive flooding will occur along the river. In addition, flood waters will affect some residential areas up stream near the Sumter County line.
16.50 ft: Water will enter some homes along Roundtree Road. Several homes will be isolated along North Old Georgetown, Roundtree, and Bengause Roads near Effingham and New Hope.
16.00 ft: Flood waters will affect several homes along the river and isolate those residents without boats.
15.50 ft: Flood waters will affect portions of North Old Georgetown, Roundtree and Bengause Roads near Effingham and New Hope. The roads will be impassable in places.
15.00 ft: Flood waters will affect roads near Effingham and New Hope. North Old Georgetown, Roundtree and Bengause Roads will flood in low lying areas near the river.
14.00 ft: Flooding will affect low lying areas along the river.
2.52 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	21.21 ft	September 22, 1945
2	20.00 ft	August 30, 1908
3	19.70 ft	October 6, 2015
4	19.40 ft	September 24, 1928
5	19.40 ft	September 20, 1928
6	19.40 ft	October 7, 1929
7	19.00 ft	September 11, 1928
8	18.87 ft	October 18, 1990
9	18.70 ft	July 20, 1916
10	18.66 ft	April 12, 1936

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 71° 49° 0.10 in, 77% Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 63° 44° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 69° 44° – Wind 14 mph

20 Tue 76° 47° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 74° 49° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 73° 46° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 73° 47° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 11 hr, 13 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Lynches River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lynches River near BishopvilleRiver gauge, Lynches River	5.04 ft	Normal	+0.09 ft	30 mi
Lynches River at Us378 near Lake CityRiver gauge, Lynches River	14.51 ft	No reference yet	−0.41 ft	11 mi
Lynches River near JohnsonvilleRiver gauge, Lynches River	22.33 ft	No reference yet	+0.08 ft	23 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Black Creek near QuinbyRiver gauge, Black Creek	3.01 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	13 mi
Pee Dee River below Pee DeeRiver gauge, Pee Dee River	19.18 ft	Normal	+0.37 ft	14 mi
Pee Dee River at PeedeeRiver gauge, Pee Dee River	11.27 ft	Normal	+0.37 ft	16 mi
Pee Dee River at Us378 above PostonRiver gauge, Pee Dee River	15.24 ft	Very high	+0.31 ft	21 mi
Black River at KingstreeRiver gauge, Black River	2.25 ft	Low	−0.10 ft	27 mi
Little Pee Dee River at Galivants FerryRiver gauge, Little Pee Dee River	3.32 ft	Very low	−0.11 ft	29 mi
Little Pee Dee River near ConwayRiver gauge, Little Pee Dee River	11.05 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	32 mi
Black Creek near HartsvilleRiver gauge, Black Creek	3.10 ft	Normal	−0.24 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Lynches River at Effingham compare with last year?

It is 1.84 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.36 ft.

What is flood stage for the Lynches River at Effingham?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 11.48 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Lynches River at Effingham in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.44 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.90 ft and 10.08 ft, based on 40 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 Lynches River at Effingham today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 08:00 AM EDT, the water level was 2.52 ft. Down 0.38 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lynches River at Effingham rising or falling?

Down 0.38 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lynches River at Effingham normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 40 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:02132000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.05155, -79.75395 (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	2.52 ft	2026-10-19 12:00	Provisional
Flow	244 cfs	2026-10-19 12:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lynches River at Effingham (usgs:02132000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/lynches-river-at-effingham

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