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SwedenRed River at Clay City water level
River gauge, Red River, Kentucky, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 65.5 cfs
History
The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.60 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:23 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
Water levels are unremarkable at Red River at Clay City, where the gauge shows 2.90 ft.
It is 14.10 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft.
It is still going down, by 0.18 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.60 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 2.90 ft – 4.97 ft.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 26.75 ftDecember 9, 1978
- Forecast peak
- 2.90 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM
Paddling and fishing conditions
Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.
For reference, flood stage is 17.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 26.75 ft
- Flooding will exceed the highest flood on record.
- 24.00 ft
- Many homes and some businesses are flooded.
- 23.00 ft
- Major flooding begins. Some residences are inundated with many roads blocked.
- 19.00 ft
- Moderate flooding begins. Several roads are impassable in and around Clay City. Some homes are flooded in low lying areas.
- 17.00 ft
- Low lying areas flood. Maple street near the Red River Ranch as well as Pompeii Road off of Highway 15 are impassable.
- 16.00 ft
- Pompeii Road off of Highway 15 and Maple Street near the Red River Ranch are impassable.
- 15.00 ft
- Maple Street near the Red River Ranch is impassable.
- 14.00 ft
- Maple Street near the Red River Ranch is impassable.
- 13.00 ft
- Water begins inundating Maple Street near the Red River Ranch.
- 2.90 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: 24 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26.75 ft | December 9, 1978 |
| 2 | 25.81 ft | March 1, 2021 |
| 3 | 24.08 ft | June 1, 2004 |
| 4 | 23.90 ft | February 28, 1962 |
| 5 | 23.36 ft | May 3, 2010 |
| 6 | 23.27 ft | April 5, 2025 |
| 7 | 23.16 ft | February 17, 2003 |
| 8 | 22.80 ft | June 15, 1938 |
| 9 | 22.30 ft | July 6, 1939 |
| 10 | 22.03 ft | February 16, 1989 |
Weather at the gauge
No rain in the last 3 days.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the Red River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red River near Hazel GreenRiver gauge, Red River | 5.7 cfs | Normal | −1.2 cfs | 26 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky River at Lock 11 near College HillRiver gauge, Kentucky River | 1,080 cfs | Normal | −290.0 cfs | 11 mi |
| Slate Creek at Highway 713 near Mount SterlingRiver gauge, Slate Creek | 17.4 cfs | Normal | −3.2 cfs | 12 mi |
| Kentucky River at Lock 12 near IrvineRiver gauge, Kentucky River | 9.81 ft | Below flood stage | −0.64 ft | 13 mi |
| Kentucky River at Lock 10 near WinchesterRiver gauge, Kentucky River | 10.51 ft | Normal | −0.31 ft | 18 mi |
| Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow ShoalsRiver gauge, Kentucky River | 864 cfs | Normal | −236.0 cfs | 19 mi |
| Kentucky River at Lock 14 at HeidelbergRiver gauge, Kentucky River | 9.65 ft | Below flood stage | −0.17 ft | 23 mi |
| Sturgeon Creek at CressmontRiver gauge, Sturgeon Creek | 4.9 cfs | Normal | −1.6 cfs | 26 mi |
| Hinkston Creek near CarlisleRiver gauge, Hinkston Creek | 10.3 cfs | Normal | −5.3 cfs | 27 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Red River at Clay City?
The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 14.10 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 Red River at Clay City today?
On Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT, the water level was 2.90 ft. Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Red River at Clay City rising or falling?
Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Red River at Clay City normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Red River at Clay City?
The highest level on record is 26.75 ft on December 9, 1978.
Is Red River at Clay City expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.60 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:03283500(Agency page)- Coordinates
37.86480, -83.93353(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 | 2.90 ft | 2026-10-19 21:15 | Provisional |
| Flow | 65.5 cfs | 2026-10-19 21:15 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Red River at Clay City (usgs:03283500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/red-river-at-clay-city
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