Ohio River at Old Shawneetown water level

Name: Ohio River at Old Shawneetown 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 River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

16.97ft Down 0.46 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT (40 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 15.00 ft by Thursday, October 29 at 07:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 08:42 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Ohio River at Old Shawneetown, where the gauge shows 16.97 ft.

That puts it 1.47 ft above the median of 15.50 ft for mid-October, based on 24 years of readings. It is 16.03 ft below the flood stage of 33.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 14.92 ft (+2.05 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.46 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 15.00 ft by Thursday, October 29 at 07:00 PM. The 30-day range is 15.31 ft – 24.30 ft.

Compared with 24 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 15.50 ft1.47 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 14.80 ft – 20.83 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (24 years of records)
Same day last year: 14.92 ft+2.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 15.31 ft – 24.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 14.87 ft – 36.12 ft
Highest on record: 65.64 ftJanuary 30, 1937
Forecast peak: 17.00 ftTuesday, October 20 at 01:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 33.00 ft.

What happens at each level

65.64 ft: This flood will exceed the highest stage on record. Large amounts of property damage can be expected. Evacuation of many homes and businesses becomes necessary.
60.00 ft: The top of the protection is reached in Shawneetown.
52.00 ft: Several rural roads and houses are isolated.
43.00 ft: Several county roads are closed.
33.00 ft: Minor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas.
26.00 ft: The boat ramp and parking lot at Old Shawneetown are under water.
16.97 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: 36 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	65.64 ft	January 30, 1937
2	56.36 ft	May 6, 2011
3	55.60 ft	March 14, 1945
4	55.30 ft	January 19, 1950
5	54.60 ft	March 20, 1964
6	54.40 ft	March 12, 1997
7	53.33 ft	April 14, 2025
8	52.40 ft	May 16, 1961
9	52.30 ft	January 9, 1991
10	52.06 ft	March 4, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 71° 45° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 74° 46° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 77° 52° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 78° 53° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 79° 53° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 76° 56° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 76° 57° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Ohio River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ohio River at LouisvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.09 ft	Normal	−1.26 ft	134 mi
Ohio River below Riverview Park near LouisvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River	14.44 ft	No reference yet	−0.83 ft	126 mi
Ohio River at Cannelton Dam at CanneltonRiver gauge, Ohio River	14.17 ft	Normal	−0.43 ft	79 mi
Ohio River at Riverport at OwensboroRiver gauge, Ohio River	19.91 ft	No reference yet	±0	55 mi
Ohio River at Newburgh Lock and DamRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.89 ft	Normal	−0.68 ft	45 mi
Ohio River at EvansvilleRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.23 ft	Normal	−0.46 ft	36 mi
Ohio River at HendersonRiver gauge, Ohio River	14.11 ft	Normal	−0.38 ft	31 mi
Ohio River at Uniontown DamRiver gauge, Ohio River	12.99 ft	Low	+0.10 ft	10 mi
Ohio River at Dam 51 at GolcondaRiver gauge, Ohio River	30.31 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	30 mi
Ohio River at Smithland Dam, SmithlandRiver gauge, Ohio River	13.01 ft	Below flood stage	+0.07 ft	40 mi
Ohio River at PaducahRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.28 ft	Normal	+0.15 ft	49 mi
Ohio River at OlmstedRiver gauge, Ohio River	19.42 ft	Below flood stage	−0.43 ft	62 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Fork Saline River near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Middle Fork Saline River	8.93 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	20 mi
Little Wabash River at CarmiRiver gauge, Little Wabash River	2.31 ft	Normal	−0.12 ft	25 mi
Tradewater River near ProvidenceRiver gauge, Tradewater River	36.6 cfs	Normal	−28.2 cfs	26 mi
Lusk Creek near EddyvilleRiver gauge, Lusk Creek	1.88 ft	Low	±0	27 mi
Little Wabash River at Main St at CarmiRiver gauge, Little Wabash River	3.17 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	28 mi
South Fork Saline River near Carrier MillsRiver gauge, South Fork Saline River	2.21 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	30 mi
Wabash River at New HarmonyRiver gauge, Wabash River	2.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	32 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Ohio River at Old Shawneetown compare with last year?

It is 2.05 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 14.92 ft.

What is flood stage for the Ohio River at Old Shawneetown?

The official flood stage is 33.00 ft. The level is currently 16.03 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Ohio River at Old Shawneetown in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 15.50 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 14.80 ft and 20.83 ft, based on 24 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 River at Old Shawneetown today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 PM CDT, the water level was 16.97 ft. Down 0.46 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Ohio River at Old Shawneetown rising or falling?

Down 0.46 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Ohio River at Old Shawneetown normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 24 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:03381700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.69250, -88.13472 (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	16.97 ft	2026-10-20 19:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ohio River at Old Shawneetown (usgs:03381700). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/ohio-river-at-old-shawneetown

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