Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at Louisville water level

Name: Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at Louisville 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, Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

12.80ft Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT (32 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 12.50 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:41 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at Louisville is at 12.80 ft, in the normal range for late October.

That puts it 0.03 ft below the median of 12.83 ft for late October, based on 18 years of readings. It is 10.20 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 12.80 ft as well.

It has dropped 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 12.50 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 12.49 ft and 14.80 ft.

Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 12.83 ft0.03 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 12.45 ft – 13.07 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year: 12.80 ft0.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 12.49 ft – 14.80 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 12.62 ft – 17.63 ft
Highest on record: 52.15 ftJanuary 27, 1937
Forecast peak: 12.70 ftWednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at Louisville

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

Flood stage here is 23.00 ft, 10.20 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

55.20 ft: Water reaches top of floodwall.
53.00 ft: Sandbagging of low areas of Louisville floodwall begin.
52.00 ft: Flooding begins in Jeffersonville city limits. Shelby Street in Louisville is closed at floodgate.
50.00 ft: Jackson Strret, Schoeffel Alley, Hancock Street, Preston Street and 13th Street are closed at floodgates.
48.00 ft: Franklin, 18th, and 26th Streets are closed at floodgates.
47.00 ft: Clay Street, Letterle Avenue, and Washington Street are closed at floodgates.
44.00 ft: Campbell, 12th, Franklin, Wenzel, and Adams Streets are closed at floodgates.
42.00 ft: Buchanan and Cabel Streets are closed at floodgate.
40.00 ft: Mellwood Avenue, Webster Street, and Rowan Street are closed at floodgate.
38.00 ft: Rowan and 7th Streets floodgates are closed. US 42 floods at Harrods Creek.
37.00 ft: 6th and 8th Street floodgates are closed. Ali Center and 2nd Street bridge floodgates are closed.
36.00 ft: 11th Street is closed at floodgates.
12.80 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	52.15 ft	January 27, 1937
2	42.10 ft	March 8, 1945
3	41.70 ft	February 16, 1884
4	41.20 ft	March 12, 1964
5	39.50 ft	February 16, 1883
6	39.40 ft	April 2, 1913
7	38.76 ft	March 7, 1997
8	36.63 ft	April 9, 2025
9	36.40 ft	January 22, 1907
10	36.00 ft	April 19, 1948

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:58 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ohio River at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River	15.38 ft	Normal	−2.01 ft	1.9 mi
Beargrass Creek at River Road at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Beargrass Creek	19.8 cfs	Normal	−25.6 cfs	2.6 mi
South Fork Beargrass Creek at E Oak St at LouisvilleRiver gauge, South Fork Beargrass Creek	2.8 cfs	Low	−0.5 cfs	3.1 mi
Ohio River at Water Tower at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River	56,700 cfs	Normal	−43,300.0 cfs	3.8 mi
South Fork Beargrass Creek at LouisvilleRiver gauge, South Fork Beargrass Creek	3.8 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	5.2 mi
Middle Fork Beargrass at Old Cannons Ln at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Middle Fork Beargrass	2.7 cfs	Low	−0.5 cfs	6.0 mi
Silver Creek near SellersburgRiver gauge, Silver Creek	9.6 cfs	Normal	−1.3 cfs	8 mi
Mill Creek Cutoff near LouisvilleRiver gauge, Mill Creek Cutoff	0.1 cfs	Low	±0	8 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at Louisville compare with last year?

It is about the same as on this day last year, when the reading was 12.80 ft.

What is flood stage for the Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at Louisville?

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 10.20 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at Louisville in late October?

The median for late October is 12.83 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 12.45 ft and 13.07 ft, based on 18 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 Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at Louisville today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT, the water level was 12.80 ft. Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at Louisville rising or falling?

Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.24 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at Louisville normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 18 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:03293551 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.26590, -85.76885 (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	12.80 ft	2026-10-21 09:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ohio R Us of McAlpine Dam @ Rrb at Louisville (usgs:03293551). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/ohio-r-us-of-mcalpine-dam-rrb-at-louisville

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