Tonawanda Creek at Rapids water level

Name: Tonawanda Creek at Rapids 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

1.46ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT (36 min ago)

Flow: 88.1 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Tonawanda Creek at Rapids, where the gauge shows 1.46 ft.

It is 10.54 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 AM. The 30-day range is 1.30 ft – 1.51 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.96 ftApril 1, 1960
Forecast peak: 1.70 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Major flood, considerable residential flooding in most of North Clarence, North Amherst, Royalton, and Newstead. Widespread road closures. Ransom Oaks area in East Amherst is inundated with backwater into Ransom, Mud, Beeman, and other small creeks. Residential flooding and widespread road closures along the creek from North Amherst to the Alabama Swamps. Widespread farmland flooding.
14.00 ft: Moderate flood, some residential flooding with widespread road closures in North Clarence, east into Newstead and Royalton. Water begins to back up into smaller creeks such as Ransom, Black, Beeman, Gott, and Mud Creeks. Flooding in some low lying areas along Tonawanda Creek Road, Rapids Road, and Wolcott Road, with widespread farmland flooding.
12.00 ft: Flood stage, lowland flooding of farm areas along Tonawanda Creek between Rapids and the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. Flooding may impact Fletcher, Burdick, Kelkenberg, and Tonawanda Creek Roads.
10.00 ft: Action stage, some impact to low lying roads along Royalton and Newstead border, possibly impacting Fletcher, Kelkenberg, and Burdick Roads.
1.46 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.96 ft	April 1, 1960
2	16.38 ft	February 26, 1985
3	15.91 ft	March 7, 1979
4	15.46 ft	January 25, 1957
5	15.33 ft	January 10, 1998
6	15.32 ft	March 20, 1963
7	15.20 ft	March 10, 1956
8	15.13 ft	December 24, 2013
9	15.00 ft	January 22, 1986
10	14.78 ft	March 17, 1982

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on Tonawanda Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tonawanda Creek at AtticaRiver gauge, Tonawanda Creek	3.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	24 mi
Tonawanda Creek at BataviaRiver gauge, Tonawanda Creek	1.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	24 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Erie (Barge) Creek above Halls Waste Weir at LockportRiver gauge, Erie (Barge) Creek	684 cfs	Normal	−34.0 cfs	6.2 mi
Ellicott Creek below WilliamsvilleRiver gauge, Ellicott Creek	2.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	10 mi
Oak Orchard Creek near ShelbyRiver gauge, Oak Orchard Creek	83.6 cfs	High	−2.5 cfs	14 mi
Cayuga Creek near LancasterRiver gauge, Cayuga Creek	3.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.33 ft	14 mi
Eighteenmile Creek at BurtRiver gauge, Eighteenmile Creek	128 cfs	High	−2.0 cfs	16 mi
Buffalo Creek at GardenvilleRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek	0.73 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	18 mi
Niagara River at Fort ErieRiver gauge, Niagara River	172.38 m	Normal	+0.01 m	29 km
Cazenovia Creek at EbenezerRiver gauge, Cazenovia Creek	2.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Tonawanda Creek at Rapids?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.54 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 Rapids today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT, the water level was 1.46 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Tonawanda Creek at Rapids rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Tonawanda Creek at Rapids 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 Rapids?

The highest level on record is 16.96 ft on April 1, 1960.

Is Tonawanda Creek at Rapids expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 1.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04218000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.09350, -78.63617 (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	1.46 ft	2026-10-18 22:00	Provisional
Flow	88.1 cfs	2026-10-18 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tonawanda Creek at Rapids (usgs:04218000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-york/tonawanda-creek-at-rapids

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