Ohio River at Dam 51 at Golconda water level

Name: Ohio River at Dam 51 at Golconda 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, Ohio River, Illinois, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

30.22ft Up 0.23 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT (23 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 29.60 ft by Monday, October 26 at 07:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:02 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Ohio River at Dam 51 at Golconda reads 30.22 ft, a normal level.

It is 9.78 ft below the flood stage of 40.00 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.23 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 29.60 ft by Monday, October 26 at 07:00 PM. There is still 9.78 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 29.93 ft and 30.38 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 62.60 ftFebruary 2, 1937
Forecast peak: 30.20 ftMonday, October 19 at 01:00 PM

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 40.00 ft, still 9.78 ft away.

What happens at each level

66.00 ft: The top of the protection is reached in Golconda.
60.00 ft: Major flooding occurs. This is the critical stage for Reevesville Illinois and Carrsville Kentucky
55.60 ft: The town of Golconda begins closing their flood wall.
53.00 ft: The levee at the marina is under water.
49.00 ft: Several families are evacuated in Hall Town.
46.00 ft: Flooding begins to affect Rosiclare Illinois.
30.22 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: 13 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	62.60 ft	February 2, 1937
2	56.87 ft	May 6, 2011
3	56.80 ft	April 6, 1913
4	54.40 ft	January 19, 1950
5	53.58 ft	March 12, 1997
6	53.20 ft	March 15, 1945
7	52.66 ft	March 4, 2018
8	52.40 ft	March 20, 1964
9	52.32 ft	April 15, 2025
10	51.60 ft	January 9, 1991

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 69° 39° – Wind 4 mph

20 Tue 73° 49° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 77° 48° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 78° 52° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 78° 53° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 79° 51° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 75° 53° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:13 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Ohio River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ohio River below Riverview Park near LouisvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River	15.30 ft	No reference yet	−0.46 ft	151 mi
Ohio River at Cannelton Dam at CanneltonRiver gauge, Ohio River	14.70 ft	High	−0.42 ft	104 mi
Ohio River at Riverport at OwensboroRiver gauge, Ohio River	19.88 ft	No reference yet	−0.25 ft	79 mi
Ohio River at Newburgh Lock and DamRiver gauge, Ohio River	17.65 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	72 mi
Ohio River at EvansvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.71 ft	Normal	+0.06 ft	65 mi
Ohio River at HendersonRiver gauge, Ohio River	14.54 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	59 mi
Ohio River at Uniontown DamRiver gauge, Ohio River	12.98 ft	Low	+0.06 ft	40 mi
Ohio River at Old ShawneetownRiver gauge, Ohio River	17.16 ft	Normal	+0.11 ft	30 mi
Ohio River at Smithland Dam, SmithlandRiver gauge, Ohio River	13.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.21 ft	14 mi
Ohio River at PaducahRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.16 ft	Normal	−0.08 ft	20 mi
Ohio River at OlmstedRiver gauge, Ohio River	19.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.69 ft	34 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lusk Creek near EddyvilleRiver gauge, Lusk Creek	1.88 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	9 mi
South Fork Saline River near Carrier MillsRiver gauge, South Fork Saline River	2.20 ft	Low	±0	22 mi
Cache River at FormanRiver gauge, Cache River	8.24 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	24 mi
Massac Creek near PaducahRiver gauge, Massac Creek	0.6 cfs	Low	+0.1 cfs	25 mi
Middle Fork Saline River near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Middle Fork Saline River	8.88 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Mayfield Creek at LovelacevilleRiver gauge, Mayfield Creek	37.2 cfs	Very high	−0.7 cfs	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Ohio River at Dam 51 at Golconda?

The official flood stage is 40.00 ft. The level is currently 9.78 ft below it.

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 Ohio River at Dam 51 at Golconda today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:00 PM CDT, the water level was 30.22 ft. Up 0.23 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Ohio River at Dam 51 at Golconda rising or falling?

Up 0.23 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Ohio River at Dam 51 at Golconda normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Ohio River at Dam 51 at Golconda?

The highest level on record is 62.60 ft on February 2, 1937.

Is Ohio River at Dam 51 at Golconda expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 29.60 ft by Monday, October 26 at 07:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03384500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.35783, -88.48254 (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	30.22 ft	2026-10-19 18:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ohio River at Dam 51 at Golconda (usgs:03384500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/illinois/ohio-river-at-dam-51-at-golconda

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