Middle Saluda River near Cleveland water level

Name: Middle Saluda River near Cleveland 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, Middle Saluda River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.53ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 04:45 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 28.3 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 Middle Saluda River near Cleveland: the gauge reads 1.53 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.51 ft below the median of 2.04 ft for mid-October, based on 24 years of readings. It is 7.97 ft below the flood stage of 9.50 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.48 ft (+0.05 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.28 ft – 3.53 ft.

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

Compared with 24 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.04 ft0.51 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.67 ft – 2.42 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (24 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.48 ft+0.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.28 ft – 3.53 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.28 ft – 3.53 ft
Highest on record: 11.21 ftJune 11, 1986

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 9.50 ft.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: ONE HOME NEAR THE GAGE ON JONES GAP AND GAP CREEK ROADS WILL FLOOD.
9.50 ft: FLOOD STAGE. OLD OIL CAMP...RIVER FALLS...TILLY AND DEVILS FORK ROADS WILL BE FLOODED.
8.00 ft: ROADS DOWNSTREAM WILL LIKELY START TO FLOOD. ROADS ARE DEVILS FORK...RIVER FALLS AND OLD OIL CAMP ROAD.
7.30 ft: THIS LEVEL HAS CAUSED FLOODING DOWNSTREAM AT GSLS1...SALUDA RVR NR GREENVILLE.
4.90 ft: PEAK HEIGHT AT SALUDA DAM WILL LIKELY BE ARD 100.88 FEET 18 HOURS AFTER IT PEAKS HERE AT THIS LEVEL.
1.53 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.21 ft	June 11, 1986
2	10.21 ft	August 7, 2013
3	10.17 ft	August 17, 2013
4	9.40 ft	August 17, 1994
5	9.33 ft	January 7, 1998
6	8.94 ft	December 3, 1986
7	8.71 ft	January 21, 1983
8	8.31 ft	June 26, 2006
9	8.13 ft	March 29, 1991
10	7.98 ft	March 23, 1993

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 62° 50° – Wind 24 mph

18 Sun 61° 44° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 72° 46° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 76° 48° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 73° 50° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 75° 49° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 72° 49° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 67%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Saluda River above SlaterRiver gauge, North Saluda River	4.48 ft	High	±0	5.1 mi
North Saluda Reservoir near TigervilleReservoir, North Saluda Reservoir	17.06 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	7 mi
South Saluda River near ClevelandRiver gauge, South Saluda River	2.02 ft	Normal	±0	7 mi
Big Falls Creek near TigervilleRiver gauge, Big Falls Creek	0.95 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	8 mi
Table Rock Reservoir near ClevelandReservoir, Table Rock Reservoir	42.09 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	8 mi
Table Rock Reservoir Tailrace near ClevelandRiver gauge, Table Rock Reservoir Tailrace	2.8 cfs	Low	±0	8 mi
Slicking Creek near Rocky BottomRiver gauge, Slicking Creek	6.5 cfs	Normal	±0	10 mi
South Saluda River near Rocky BottomRiver gauge, South Saluda River	14.7 cfs	Low	−0.6 cfs	10 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Middle Saluda River near Cleveland compare with last year?

It is 0.05 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.48 ft.

What is flood stage for the Middle Saluda River near Cleveland?

The official flood stage is 9.50 ft. The level is currently 7.97 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 2.04 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.67 ft and 2.42 ft, based on 24 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 Middle Saluda River near Cleveland today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:45 AM EDT, the water level was 1.53 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Middle Saluda River near Cleveland rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.35 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Middle Saluda River near Cleveland normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 24 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:02162350 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.12034, -82.53758 (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	1.53 ft	2026-10-20 08:45	Provisional
Flow	28.3 cfs	2026-10-20 08:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Middle Saluda River near Cleveland (usgs:02162350). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/middle-saluda-river-near-cleveland

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