Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near Gaffney water level

Name: Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near Gaffney 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, Thicketty Creek, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.03ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:45 PM EDT (42 min ago)

Flow: 6.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near Gaffney is at 3.03 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.05 ft above the median of 2.99 ft for mid-October, based on 20 years of readings. It is 11.97 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.84 ft (+0.19 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.85 ft and 4.87 ft.

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

Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.99 ft0.05 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.84 ft – 3.23 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (20 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.84 ft+0.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.85 ft – 4.87 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.52 ft – 4.87 ft
Highest on record: 11.00 ftFebruary 6, 2020

Floating and fishing near Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near Gaffney

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 11.97 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft: ONE HOME SOUTH OF LOVE SPRINGS ROAD ON E KING RIDGE MAY BEGIN TO FLOOD.
15.00 ft: BUILDINGS NEAR THICKETTY CREEK BETTWEEN OVERBROOK ROAD AND LOVE SPRINGS ROAD WILL LIKELY FLOOD.
10.00 ft: AT THIS STAGE THE APPROACHS TO SHADY GROVE ROAD WILL BE FLOODED DUE TO THICKETTY MOUNTAIN CREEK. THIS CREEK FLOWS INTO THICKETTY CREEK ABOVE THE USGS GAGE SITE.
8.00 ft: AT THIS LEVEL THE APPROACHS TO SHADY GROVE ROAD ON THICKETTY MOUNTAIN CREEK MAY BEGIN TO FLOOD.
5.40 ft: NO FLOODING AT THIS LEVEL
3.03 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.00 ft	February 6, 2020
2	10.38 ft	September 27, 2024
3	8.86 ft	August 1, 2014
4	7.70 ft	May 5, 2013
5	6.96 ft	January 25, 2010
6	6.75 ft	April 19, 2015
7	6.66 ft	March 2, 2007
8	6.38 ft	April 2, 2009
9	5.68 ft	January 17, 2013
10	4.15 ft	September 10, 2008

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 74° 39° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 72° 46° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 74° 46° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 70° 45° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 67° 44° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 68° 43° – Wind 10 mph

26 Mon 71° 43° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:38 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near CowpensRiver gauge, Pacolet River	2.02 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	8 mi
Pacolet River at Us-29 near ConverseRiver gauge, Pacolet River	1.84 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	8 mi
Broad River near BlacksburgRiver gauge, Broad River	3.52 ft	Normal	+0.32 ft	8 mi
Gaston Shoals Reservoir above BlacksburgReservoir, Gaston Shoals Reservoir	94.95 ft	Low	+1.12 ft	8 mi
Pacolet River at PacoletRiver gauge, Pacolet River	9.27 ft	Very low	−0.23 ft	10 mi
Broad River near Boiling SpringsRiver gauge, Broad River	2.10 ft	Normal	+0.18 ft	10 mi
Lawsons Fork Creek at SpartanburgRiver gauge, Lawsons Fork Creek	3.57 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	12 mi
Broad River below Ninetynine Island ReservoirRiver gauge, Broad River	26.60 ft	Normal	+0.20 ft	13 mi

Questions and answers

How does Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near Gaffney compare with last year?

It is 0.19 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.84 ft.

What is flood stage for Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near Gaffney?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 11.97 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near Gaffney in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.99 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.84 ft and 3.23 ft, based on 20 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 Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near Gaffney today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:45 PM EDT, the water level was 3.03 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near Gaffney rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 1.25 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near Gaffney normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 20 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:02153700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.06290, -81.71454 (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	3.03 ft	2026-10-21 02:45	Provisional
Flow	6.9 cfs	2026-10-21 02:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near Gaffney (usgs:02153700). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/thicketty-creek-at-cnty-road-42-near-gaffney

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