Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda water level

Name: Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda 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, Cattaraugus Creek, New York, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.45ft Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 208 cfs
Water temperature: 53 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda, where the gauge shows 1.45 ft.

It is 8.55 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.18 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 1.25 ft – 1.90 ft.

The water temperature at the gauge is 53 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 14.14 ftMarch 7, 1956
Forecast peak: 1.50 ftSunday, October 18 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Major flood, extreme residential and commercial flooding downstream from Gowanda. Also some flooding 1 to 2 miles upstream. Serious flooding possible near Thatcher Brook in Gowanda and Sunset Bay near Lake Erie.
12.00 ft: Moderate flood, residential flooding begins downstream of Gowanda, especially on the right bank. Flooding also possible at Sunset Bay on Lake Erie and along Thatcher Brook in Gowanda.
10.00 ft: Flood stage, flooding along right bank a half mile to a mile downstream from Gowanda, mostly in industrial and commercial areas. Watch for developing problems along Thatcher Creek in Gowanda and at Sunset Bay at the mouth near Lake Erie.
8.00 ft: Action stage, water begins to spill over right bank near the sewage disposal plant, about 1 mile downstream from Gowanda.
1.45 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.14 ft	March 7, 1956
2	13.99 ft	September 14, 1979
3	13.62 ft	March 17, 1942
4	13.47 ft	August 10, 2009
5	13.02 ft	January 19, 1996
6	12.85 ft	September 28, 1967
7	12.44 ft	January 22, 1959
8	12.17 ft	June 23, 1972
9	12.02 ft	June 26, 1998
10	11.94 ft	April 5, 1947

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 53%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Thatcher Brook at GowandaRiver gauge, Thatcher Brook	2.7 cfs	Low	−0.6 cfs	0.8 mi
Silver Creek at Us Route 20 at Silver CreekRiver gauge, Silver Creek	2.7 cfs	Low	−1.4 cfs	13 mi
Walnut Creek at Us Route 20 at Silver CreekRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	2.0 cfs	Very low	−2.0 cfs	13 mi
Big Sister Creek at Evans CenterRiver gauge, Big Sister Creek	3.7 cfs	Low	−0.8 cfs	14 mi
South Branch Eighteenmile Creek at Bley Road at Eden ValleyRiver gauge, South Branch Eighteenmile Creek	5.9 cfs	Low	−2.3 cfs	15 mi
Eighteenmile Creek at HamburgRiver gauge, Eighteenmile Creek	12.0 cfs	Low	−4.6 cfs	17 mi
Canadaway Creek at FredoniaRiver gauge, Canadaway Creek	8.1 cfs	Low	−4.3 cfs	21 mi
Allegheny River at SalamancaRiver gauge, Allegheny River	2.83 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 8.55 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 Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT, the water level was 1.45 ft. Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda rising or falling?

Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda?

The highest level on record is 14.14 ft on March 7, 1956.

Is Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04213500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.46344, -78.93453 (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	1.45 ft	2026-10-18 21:15	Provisional
Flow	208 cfs	2026-10-18 21:15	Provisional
Water temperature	53 °F	2026-10-18 21:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda (usgs:04213500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-york/cattaraugus-creek-at-gowanda

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