Fall Creek near Ithaca water level

Name: Fall Creek near Ithaca 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, Fall Creek, New York, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

0.86ft Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:45 AM EDT (24 min ago)

Flow: 53.2 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Fall Creek near Ithaca reads 0.86 ft, a normal level.

It is 5.14 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.16 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.67 ft and 1.08 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.16 ftFebruary 21, 1971
Forecast peak: 0.80 ftSunday, October 18 at 08:00 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 6.00 ft, still 5.14 ft away.

What happens at each level

11.20 ft: Ice jam flood crest from February 1971.
9.50 ft: Catastrophic flood damage occurred from Etna to downtown Ithaca in July of 1935.
8.40 ft: Devastating flood of October 1981. Bridges destroyed. Homes evacuated. Swiftwater rescues occurred from Etna to Forest Home. Several streets in Ithaca's Northside neighborhood were flooded.
8.00 ft: Flooding will damage several bridges upstream of the gage from Varna to Etna.
7.50 ft: This is the crest stage from the January 1996 rain on snowmelt with ice jams flooding.
7.00 ft: Widespread flooding of properties and some homes occurs between Varna and Etna. If Cayuga Lake is high, water from Fall Creek completely inundates Stewart Park.
6.50 ft: Lower Creek Road is inundated between Varna and Etna. Main Street near Etna is flooded. A few properties between Etna and Varna are affected by flooding. If Cayuga Lake is high, water from Fall Creek will flood roads in Stewart Park.
6.10 ft: This is the crest stage of the April 2005 flood.
6.00 ft: Widespread flooding of unoccupied lands occurs nearest the river. Portions of Lower Creek Road will flood.
0.86 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	11.16 ft	February 21, 1971
2	9.52 ft	July 8, 1935
3	9.11 ft	February 25, 1977
4	8.84 ft	February 22, 1955
5	8.76 ft	January 21, 1959
6	8.35 ft	October 28, 1981
7	8.25 ft	February 11, 1966
8	8.20 ft	March 2, 1946
9	8.18 ft	March 17, 1968
10	7.80 ft	March 4, 1934

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:19 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 56%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cayuga Inlet (Cayuga Lake) at IthacaLake, Cayuga Inlet (Cayuga Lake)	381.93 ft	Very high	−0.09 ft	2.1 mi
Cayuga Inlet at IthacaRiver gauge, Cayuga Inlet	21.5 cfs	Normal	−2.8 cfs	3.1 mi
Sixmile Creek at Bethel GroveRiver gauge, Sixmile Creek	21.8 cfs	Normal	−3.4 cfs	4.0 mi
Salmon Creek near LudlowvilleRiver gauge, Salmon Creek	21.5 cfs	Normal	−4.8 cfs	8 mi
Owasco Inlet below Aurora Street at MoraviaRiver gauge, Owasco Inlet	3.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	18 mi
Tioughnioga River at CortlandRiver gauge, Tioughnioga River	3.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	19 mi
Catharine Creek at Montour FallsRiver gauge, Catharine Creek	17.9 cfs	Normal	−3.1 cfs	21 mi
Grout Brook near Fair HavenRiver gauge, Grout Brook	6.3 cfs	Normal	+0.3 cfs	23 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Fall Creek near Ithaca?

The official flood stage is 6.00 ft. The level is currently 5.14 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 Fall Creek near Ithaca today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:45 AM EDT, the water level was 0.86 ft. Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Fall Creek near Ithaca rising or falling?

Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Fall Creek near Ithaca normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Fall Creek near Ithaca?

The highest level on record is 11.16 ft on February 21, 1971.

Is Fall Creek near Ithaca expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04234000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.45333, -76.47278 (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	0.86 ft	2026-10-19 04:45	Provisional
Flow	53.2 cfs	2026-10-19 04:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Fall Creek near Ithaca (usgs:04234000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-york/fall-creek-near-ithaca

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