Tonawanda Creek at Batavia water level

Name: Tonawanda Creek at Batavia 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, Tonawanda Creek, New York, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.68ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 AM EDT (53 min ago)

Flow: 29.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Tonawanda Creek at Batavia reads 1.68 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.32 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.52 ft and 1.96 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 13.85 ftApril 6, 1947
Forecast peak: 1.60 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 AM

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 9.00 ft, still 7.32 ft away.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Major flood, considerable residential and commercial flooding from the west side of Batavia through East Pembroke. Widespread flooding in low lying areas and feeder streams along the entire reach of Tonawanda Creek, including the Tonawanda Indian Reservation and extending into the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.
10.00 ft: Moderate flood, flooding along West Main Street and South Main Street in Batavia and along the creek from Batavia to East Pembroke, extending to the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. Flooding will mainly impact roads, with some residential and commerical flooding possible.
9.00 ft: Flood stage, some flooding in Batavia, possibly impacting Kibbe Park, Walnut Street, and Law Street. Flooding in rural areas of Alexander and the lowlands of the Alabama Swamps with some road closures likely.
7.00 ft: Action stage, high flows. Minor impact on some rural roads north of Alexander.
1.68 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	13.85 ft	April 6, 1947
2	13.73 ft	March 29, 1950
3	13.44 ft	March 2, 1955
4	12.70 ft	March 31, 1960
5	12.45 ft	February 25, 1985
6	12.44 ft	January 9, 1998
7	12.07 ft	March 7, 1956
8	11.94 ft	December 22, 2013
9	11.89 ft	March 15, 2007
10	11.72 ft	December 28, 2008

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.28 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 60° 36° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 63° 39° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 59° 42° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 56° 38° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 61° 37° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 56° 38° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 63° 36° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on Tonawanda Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tonawanda Creek at AtticaRiver gauge, Tonawanda Creek	3.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	10 mi
Tonawanda Creek at RapidsRiver gauge, Tonawanda Creek	1.55 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	24 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Oak Orchard Creek near ShelbyRiver gauge, Oak Orchard Creek	83.6 cfs	Very high	+2.5 cfs	16 mi
Black Creek at ChurchvilleRiver gauge, Black Creek	1.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	17 mi
Oatka Creek at WarsawRiver gauge, Oatka Creek	8.6 cfs	Low	−1.1 cfs	18 mi
Oatka Creek at GarbuttRiver gauge, Oatka Creek	2.38 ft	Below flood stage	±0	20 mi
Oak Orchard Creek near KenyonvilleRiver gauge, Oak Orchard Creek	462 cfs	High	−7.0 cfs	22 mi
Genesee River at AvonRiver gauge, Genesee River	15.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.46 ft	22 mi
Mount Morris Lake near Mount MorrisLake, Mount Morris Lake	588.49 ft	Normal	−0.17 ft	23 mi
Genesee River near Mount MorrisRiver gauge, Genesee River	587 cfs	Normal	−27.0 cfs	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Tonawanda Creek at Batavia?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 7.32 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 Tonawanda Creek at Batavia today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 AM EDT, the water level was 1.68 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Tonawanda Creek at Batavia rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Tonawanda Creek at Batavia normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Tonawanda Creek at Batavia?

The highest level on record is 13.85 ft on April 6, 1947.

Is Tonawanda Creek at Batavia expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04217000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.99714, -78.18817 (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	1.68 ft	2026-10-19 13:00	Provisional
Flow	29.4 cfs	2026-10-19 13:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tonawanda Creek at Batavia (usgs:04217000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-york/tonawanda-creek-at-batavia

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