Tombigbee River below Heflin L&d near Gainesville water level

Name: Tombigbee River below Heflin L&d near Gainesville 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, Tombigbee River, Alabama, United States

Directions

Low for late October

Water level

73.45ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:00 AM CDT (23 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 72.00 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 07:53 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 73.45 ft, the Tombigbee River below Heflin L&d near Gainesville is below normal for late October.

That puts it 0.43 ft below the median of 73.88 ft for late October, based on 23 years of readings. It is 27.55 ft below the flood stage of 101.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 73.72 ft (−0.27 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 72.00 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 73.14 ft and 73.82 ft.

Compared with 23 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 73.88 ft0.43 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 73.41 ft – 77.09 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (23 years of records)
Same day last year: 73.72 ft−0.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 73.14 ft – 73.82 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 73.41 ft – 94.65 ft
Highest on record: 120.74 ftApril 15, 1979
Forecast peak: 72.40 ftTuesday, October 20 at 07:00 PM

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 101.00 ft, still 27.55 ft away.

What happens at each level

117.50 ft: Flooding of some secondary homes upstream in the Panola and Warsaw areas occurs.
109.00 ft: Flooding of some camps and cabins...as well as widespread flooding of low-lying woods and agricultural lands...occurs, especially upstream of the lock and dam.
101.00 ft: Flooding of low lying agricultural and wooded lands in the area occurs.
73.45 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: 16 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	120.74 ft	April 15, 1979
2	118.35 ft	February 25, 1991
3	116.58 ft	February 16, 2020
4	116.50 ft	June 1, 1991
5	115.46 ft	February 28, 2019
6	114.88 ft	May 4, 1991
7	114.82 ft	December 28, 1990
8	113.56 ft	December 11, 2005
9	112.95 ft	February 9, 2004
10	112.80 ft	May 17, 1991

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 77° 41° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 79° 48° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 81° 51° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 81° 52° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 78° 51° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 78° 50° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 78° 50° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:02 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Tombigbee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tombigbee River at BigbeeRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	3.05 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	83 mi
Tombigbee River near AmoryRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	11.58 ft	High	±0	82 mi
Tombigbee River at Aberdeen Lock and DamRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	40.57 ft	Very high		71 mi
Tombigbee River at Stennis Lock and DamRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	36.39 ft	Very low		50 mi
Tombigbee River at Bevill L&d near PickensvilleRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	136.09 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	26 mi
Tombigbee River at Heflin L&d near GainesvilleRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	109.27 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	0.3 mi
Tombigbee River at Demopolis L&d near CoatopaRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	73.48 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	28 mi
Tombigbee River below Demopolis L&d near CoatopaRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	33.06 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	28 mi
Tombigbee River near NanafaliaRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	32.90 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	50 mi
Tombigbee River at Coffeeville L&d near CoffeevilleRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	1,330 cfs	Very low	−670.0 cfs	76 mi
Tombigbee River below Coffeeville L&d near CoffeevilleRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	1.42 ft	Low	+0.18 ft	76 mi
Tombigbee River at Steamplant near LeroyRiver gauge, Tombigbee River	1.31 ft	Very low	+0.30 ft	95 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Noxubee River near GeigerRiver gauge, Noxubee River	8.44 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Black Warrior River below Selden Dam near EutawRiver gauge, Black Warrior River	73.56 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	19 mi
Black Warrior River at Selden L & D near EutawRiver gauge, Black Warrior River	95.80 ft	Normal	+0.11 ft	19 mi
Sucarnoochee River at LivingstonRiver gauge, Sucarnoochee River	0.77 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	19 mi
Tombigbee River Bel Bevil L&d near PickensvilleRiver gauge, Tombigbee River Bel Bevil L&d	109.10 ft	Very low	±0	26 mi
Noxubee River at MaconRiver gauge, Noxubee River	3.92 ft	Very low	±0	28 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Tombigbee River below Heflin L&d near Gainesville compare with last year?

It is 0.27 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 73.72 ft.

What is flood stage for the Tombigbee River below Heflin L&d near Gainesville?

The official flood stage is 101.00 ft. The level is currently 27.55 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Tombigbee River below Heflin L&d near Gainesville in late October?

The median for late October is 73.88 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 73.41 ft and 77.09 ft, based on 23 years of records.

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 Tombigbee River below Heflin L&d near Gainesville today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:00 AM CDT, the water level was 73.45 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Tombigbee River below Heflin L&d near Gainesville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.11 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Tombigbee River below Heflin L&d near Gainesville normal?

Low for late October. Compared with 23 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02447026 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.85235, -88.15419 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	73.45 ft	2026-10-21 05:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tombigbee River below Heflin L&d near Gainesville (usgs:02447026). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alabama/tombigbee-river-below-heflin-l-and-d-near-gainesville

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