Allegheny River at Olean water level

Name: Allegheny River at Olean 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, Allegheny River, New York, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.19ft Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 07:30 AM EDT (52 min ago)

Flow: 251 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.10 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 08:00 AM. Issued Friday, October 16 at 08:58 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Allegheny River at Olean is at 1.19 ft, in the normal range.

It is 10.81 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has risen 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.10 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 08:00 AM. There is still 10.81 ft of room before flood stage. In the last month it has stayed between 1.14 ft and 1.19 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 26.20 ftJune 23, 1972
Forecast peak: 1.10 ftSaturday, October 17 at 08:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Allegheny River at Olean

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

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 10.81 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: Extreme flood, extensive residential flooding begins, especially upstream from Union Street bridge. Some evacuations necessary. Serious flooding upstream through Portville. Dikes overwhelmed.
23.00 ft: Major flood, protective dikes begin to be topped. Some roadway flooding in residential areas of city begins, especially upstream. Serious flooding in areas unprotected by dikes including portions of Portville.
17.00 ft: Moderate flood, water affects Riverview School of Aviation, 1.5 miles upstream of Union Street bridge. Local flooding occurs in areas unprotected by dikes including portions of Portville upstream.
12.00 ft: Flood stage, flooding possible on Union Street in Allegany and East Riverside Drive 1 to 3 miles upstream of Olean. Some farm lands along the river are also impacted.
10.00 ft: Action stage, high flows. No flooding.
1.19 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.20 ft	June 23, 1972
2	23.30 ft	July 19, 1942
3	19.50 ft	March 8, 1956
4	19.30 ft	May 29, 1946
5	18.60 ft	January 20, 1996
6	18.50 ft	March 23, 1948
7	18.10 ft	November 27, 1950
8	18.00 ft	January 22, 1959
9	17.84 ft	June 22, 1989
10	17.80 ft	April 7, 1947

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.12 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 45° 35° 0.03 in Wind 12 mph

18 Sun 57° 33° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 65° 37° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 62° 40° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 59° 36° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 61° 33° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 58° 38° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 40%

Map

Other gauges on the Allegheny River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Allegheny River at Port AlleganyRiver gauge, Allegheny River	131 cfs	Normal	+40.3 cfs	19 mi
Allegheny River at EldredRiver gauge, Allegheny River	2.68 ft	Below flood stage	+0.19 ft	8 mi
Allegheny River at SalamancaRiver gauge, Allegheny River	2.80 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	15 mi
Allegheny River at Red HouseRiver gauge, Allegheny River	7.73 ft	No reference yet	+0.08 ft	18 mi
Allegheny River at Kinzua DamRiver gauge, Allegheny River	2,310 cfs	Normal	−20.0 cfs	33 mi
Allegheny River below Conewango Creek at WarrenRiver gauge, Allegheny River	3.21 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	39 mi
Allegheny River at West HickoryRiver gauge, Allegheny River	3.91 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	60 mi
Allegheny River at FranklinRiver gauge, Allegheny River	3.49 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	85 mi
Allegheny River at ParkerRiver gauge, Allegheny River	2.64 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	92 mi
Allegheny River near RimerRiver gauge, Allegheny River	9.36 ft	Normal	±0	96 mi
Allegheny River at Lock & Dam 8 near TempletonRiver gauge, Allegheny River	9.52 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	97 mi
Allegheny River at KittanningRiver gauge, Allegheny River	10.66 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	103 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Dodge Creek at PortvilleRiver gauge, Dodge Creek	2.95 ft	Low	+0.04 ft	6.1 mi
Tunungwant Creek near South BradfordRiver gauge, Tunungwant Creek	0.39 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	12 mi
Oswayo Creek at ShinglehouseRiver gauge, Oswayo Creek	17.3 cfs	Low	+4.3 cfs	15 mi
Kinzua Creek near GuffeyRiver gauge, Kinzua Creek	29.6 cfs	Normal	+11.6 cfs	25 mi
Genesee River at WellsvilleRiver gauge, Genesee River	4.45 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	26 mi
Sevenmile Run near RasselasRiver gauge, Sevenmile Run	3.9 cfs	Normal	+1.4 cfs	31 mi
Allegheny Reservoir near WarrenReservoir, Allegheny Reservoir	1,320.40 ft	High	−0.30 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Allegheny River at Olean?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.81 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 Allegheny River at Olean today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 07:30 AM EDT, the water level was 1.19 ft. Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Allegheny River at Olean rising or falling?

Up 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Allegheny River at Olean normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Allegheny River at Olean?

The highest level on record is 26.20 ft on June 23, 1972.

Is Allegheny River at Olean expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.10 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03010820 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.07236, -78.45086 (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	1.19 ft	2026-10-17 11:30	Provisional
Flow	251 cfs	2026-10-17 11:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Allegheny River at Olean (usgs:03010820). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-york/allegheny-river-at-olean

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