Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near Cowpens water level

Name: Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near Cowpens 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, Pacolet River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.02ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 142 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near Cowpens reads 2.02 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.07 ft below the median of 2.09 ft for mid-October, based on 27 years of readings. It is 11.98 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.83 ft (+0.19 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.71 ft and 8.33 ft.

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

Compared with 27 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.09 ft0.07 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.69 ft – 3.15 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (27 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.83 ft+0.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.71 ft – 8.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.63 ft – 8.33 ft
Highest on record: 17.10 ftMay 23, 2003

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 14.00 ft, still 11.98 ft away.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: FLOOD STAGE. RIVER WILL OVERFLOW ITS BANKS AT THE SPARTANBURG WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND WILL ALSO EFFECT THE BRIDGE AT THE PLANT.
12.00 ft: ACTION STAGE. OLD CONVERSE/CLIFTON MILL NUMBER 1 SITE WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD AND WATER FLOWS INTO BACKYARDS OF HOMES ALONG RIVER STREET.
10.00 ft: BANKFULL STAGE.
2.02 ft: Right now
1.75 ft: 1.75 BASIN AVERAGE RAINFALL IN 2 HOURS CAUSED THE RIVER TO RISE 4 FT WET GROUND. IF IN A DROUGHT IT WENT FROM 2 FT TO 3.7 FT WITH NO RELEASE FROM DAM..

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.10 ft	May 23, 2003
2	17.10 ft	August 28, 1995
3	16.63 ft	February 7, 2020
4	13.53 ft	July 8, 2005
5	13.52 ft	September 8, 2004
6	12.31 ft	October 8, 2005
7	10.42 ft	November 11, 2009
8	10.20 ft	March 21, 2003
9	9.77 ft	April 2, 2009
10	8.64 ft	March 2, 2007

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 74° 39° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 72° 44° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 75° 44° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 70° 46° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 67° 44° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 68° 44° – Wind 10 mph

26 Mon 72° 43° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Other gauges on the Pacolet River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pacolet River near FingervilleRiver gauge, Pacolet River	6.72 ft	High	−0.06 ft	7 mi
Pacolet River at Us-29 near ConverseRiver gauge, Pacolet River	1.84 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	3.9 mi
Pacolet River at PacoletRiver gauge, Pacolet River	9.28 ft	Very low	−0.25 ft	11 mi
Pacolet River near SarattRiver gauge, Pacolet River	5.04 ft	Normal	−0.39 ft	22 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lawsons Fork Creek at SpartanburgRiver gauge, Lawsons Fork Creek	3.57 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near GaffneyRiver gauge, Thicketty Creek	3.03 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	8 mi
North Pacolet River at FingervilleRiver gauge, North Pacolet River	3.23 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	9 mi
Lake William C. Bowen near FingervilleLake, Lake William C. Bowen	814.80 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	11 mi
North Tyger River near FairmontRiver gauge, North Tyger River	10.1 cfs	Very low	±0	13 mi
North Tyger River below WellfordRiver gauge, North Tyger River	5.75 ft	High	±0	13 mi
North Tyger River at WellfordRiver gauge, North Tyger River	7.7 cfs	Very low	+1.3 cfs	14 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near Cowpens compare with last year?

It is 0.19 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.83 ft.

What is flood stage for the Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near Cowpens?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 11.98 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near Cowpens in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.09 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.69 ft and 3.15 ft, based on 27 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 Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near Cowpens today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:45 PM EDT, the water level was 2.02 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near Cowpens rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.75 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near Cowpens normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 27 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:021556525 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.04762, -81.85566 (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	2.02 ft	2026-10-21 01:45	Provisional
Flow	142 cfs	2026-10-21 01:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near Cowpens (usgs:021556525). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/pacolet-river-below-lake-blalock-near-cowpens

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