Cumberland River at Barbourville water level

Name: Cumberland River at Barbourville 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, Cumberland River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.54ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 PM EDT (21 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.50 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:02 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Cumberland River at Barbourville is at 1.54 ft, in the normal range.

It is 25.46 ft below the flood stage of 27.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.50 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 1.53 ft and 1.67 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 45.91 ftApril 6, 1977
Forecast peak: 1.60 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Cumberland River at Barbourville

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 27.00 ft, 25.46 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

50.00 ft: Overtopping or failure of floodwall is expected. Full evacuation of Barbourville is necessary.
45.91 ft: Flooding will exceed the highest flood on record. Homes and businesses must be evacuated.
40.29 ft: Closing of flood gates begins.
40.00 ft: Major flood threatens the protected area of Barbourville. US 25 E floods on both sides of the city.
39.60 ft: KY 11 floods.
39.40 ft: Homes on Miller Road and Boone Heights begin flooding.
38.50 ft: Homes begin flooding in Apple Grove, Sharp Gap and Smokey.
36.60 ft: Roads begin flooding in Heidrick. Homes begin flooding on South Main Street.
34.00 ft: Flooding threatens homes and businesses in unprotected areas.
30.00 ft: Manchester Street and Miller Road east of US 25 E flood.
27.00 ft: Low lying roads flood. Manchester street floods.
1.54 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: 22 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	45.91 ft	April 6, 1977
2	42.65 ft	November 29, 1973
3	42.30 ft	–
4	42.15 ft	January 30, 1957
5	41.60 ft	March 14, 1975
6	41.43 ft	March 13, 1963
7	40.83 ft	May 8, 1984
8	40.25 ft	February 2, 1951
9	40.01 ft	February 7, 2020
10	39.31 ft	March 17, 1973

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 73° 40° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 73° 40° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 71° 45° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 73° 45° – Wind 4 mph

24 Sat 72° 47° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 72° 48° – Wind 3 mph

26 Mon 72° 49° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:48 AM Sunset 06:54 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Cumberland River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cumberland River near HarlanRiver gauge, Cumberland River	163 cfs	Normal	−11.0 cfs	29 mi
Cumberland River at Pine St Branch at PinevilleRiver gauge, Cumberland River	225 cfs	Normal	−4.0 cfs	13 mi
Cumberland River at WilliamsburgRiver gauge, Cumberland River	2.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	17 mi
Cumberland River at Cumberland FallsRiver gauge, Cumberland River	256 cfs	Normal	−18.0 cfs	25 mi
Cumberland River at Long Bottom near RowenaRiver gauge, Cumberland River	2.97 ft	No reference yet	+0.61 ft	69 mi
Cumberland River at BurkesvilleRiver gauge, Cumberland River	27.67 ft	Below flood stage	+1.62 ft	82 mi
Cumberland River at CelinaRiver gauge, Cumberland River	13.41 ft	Below flood stage	+0.18 ft	93 mi
Cumberland River below Cordell Hull DamRiver gauge, Cumberland River	447.03 ft	No reference yet	+0.34 ft	121 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lynn Camp Creek at CorbinRiver gauge, Lynn Camp Creek	3.9 cfs	Low	−0.4 cfs	13 mi
Clear Fork at SaxtonRiver gauge, Clear Fork	32.6 cfs	Low	−1.2 cfs	20 mi
Goose Creek at ManchesterRiver gauge, Goose Creek	10.4 cfs	Normal	−2.3 cfs	21 mi
Powell River near ArthurRiver gauge, Powell River	2.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	26 mi
Rockcastle River at BillowsRiver gauge, Rockcastle River	43.9 cfs	Normal	−12.6 cfs	31 mi
Martin's Fork near HarlanRiver gauge, Martin's Fork	67.2 cfs	Normal	+5.7 cfs	31 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Cumberland River at Barbourville?

The official flood stage is 27.00 ft. The level is currently 25.46 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 Cumberland River at Barbourville today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 PM EDT, the water level was 1.54 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cumberland River at Barbourville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cumberland River at Barbourville normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cumberland River at Barbourville?

The highest level on record is 45.91 ft on April 6, 1977.

Is Cumberland River at Barbourville expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.50 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03403500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.86231, -83.88742 (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	1.54 ft	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/14889?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Cumberland River at Barbourville water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cumberland River at Barbourville (usgs:03403500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/cumberland-river-at-barbourville

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