Big Sandy River at Louisa water level

Name: Big Sandy River at Louisa 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, Big Sandy River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.73ft Down 0.76 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.50 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:12 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Big Sandy River at Louisa reads 4.73 ft, a normal level.

It is 44.27 ft below the flood stage of 49.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.76 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.50 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.73 ft and 8.48 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 46.37 ftMay 8, 1958
Lowest on record: 1.70 ftOctober 1, 1960
Forecast peak: 4.70 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 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 49.00 ft, still 44.27 ft away.

What happens at each level

64.00 ft: Railroad tracks along the river start to flood between 59 to 63 feet. Route 23 near gage starts to flood near 68 feet. Power Plant 1.5 miles downstream from the river gage starts to flood between 68 to 73 feet. Several areas along the river in Louisa, Kentucky and Fort Gay, West Virginia are flooded.
59.00 ft: Railroad tracks along the river start to flood between 59 to 63 feet. Several low areas are flooded on both sides of the river.
49.00 ft: Low lying and poor drainage areas along the river start to flood near 49 feet. Louisa city pool and park start to flood between 50 and 55 feet. Low areas in and around Fort Gay, West Virginia start to flood between 50 and 55 feet.
4.73 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	46.37 ft	May 8, 1958
2	46.36 ft	March 2, 1955
3	45.64 ft	February 28, 1962
4	45.00 ft	April 7, 1977
5	44.70 ft	March 14, 1963
6	44.60 ft	March 3, 2021
7	44.43 ft	January 31, 1957
8	42.73 ft	March 7, 2015
9	39.25 ft	March 4, 1997
10	38.25 ft	March 24, 1952

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.10 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 68° 38° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 70° 40° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 70° 42° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 69° 46° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 70° 43° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 72° 49° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 72° 46° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:49 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 61%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Twelvepole Creek below WayneRiver gauge, Twelvepole Creek	5.12 ft	High	−0.28 ft	12 mi
Twelvepole Creek at LavaletteRiver gauge, Twelvepole Creek	4.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.31 ft	15 mi
Blaine Creek near BlaineRiver gauge, Blaine Creek	2.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	15 mi
Ohio River at HuntingtonRiver gauge, Ohio River	26.82 ft	Normal	−0.37 ft	18 mi
Little Sandy River at GraysonRiver gauge, Little Sandy River	4.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	20 mi
Little Sandy River below Grayson Dam near LeonRiver gauge, Little Sandy River	42.8 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	20 mi
East Fork Twelvepole Creek near DunlowRiver gauge, East Fork Twelvepole Creek	3.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	21 mi
Ohio River at AshlandRiver gauge, Ohio River	34.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Big Sandy River at Louisa?

The official flood stage is 49.00 ft. The level is currently 44.27 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 Big Sandy River at Louisa today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:30 PM EDT, the water level was 4.73 ft. Down 0.76 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Sandy River at Louisa rising or falling?

Down 0.76 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Big Sandy River at Louisa normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Big Sandy River at Louisa?

The highest level on record is 46.37 ft on May 8, 1958. The lowest is 1.70 ft on October 1, 1960.

Is Big Sandy River at Louisa expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.50 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03215000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.17120, -82.63460 (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	4.73 ft	2026-10-19 17:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Sandy River at Louisa (usgs:03215000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/big-sandy-river-at-louisa

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