South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville water level

Name: South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville 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, South Fork Kentucky River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.51ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 PM EDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 61.3 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville is at 3.51 ft, in the normal range.

It is 23.49 ft below the flood stage of 27.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.51 ft and 4.17 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 44.33 ftMarch 1, 2021

Floating and fishing near South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville

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

Flood stage here is 27.00 ft, 23.49 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

44.33 ft: Flooding will exceed the highest flood on record. Town is completely cut off.
35.00 ft: Water enters the basement of a home off of Highway 30 on the right bank of the river.
27.00 ft: Low lying areas flood. The bridge at Upper Wolf Creek Road, Shephards Lane, and the east end of Applegate Road at Buck Creek are impassable.
3.51 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: 16 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	44.33 ft	March 1, 2021
2	43.40 ft	January 30, 1957
3	42.76 ft	February 17, 2025
4	41.70 ft	June 29, 1947
5	41.12 ft	May 8, 1984
6	40.74 ft	February 28, 1962
7	40.50 ft	February 1, 1939
8	40.36 ft	March 14, 1975
9	39.85 ft	March 13, 1963
10	38.83 ft	January 8, 1946

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 69° 38° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 72° 41° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 72° 45° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 72° 44° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 74° 47° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 75° 49° – Wind 3 mph

26 Mon 74° 52° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:48 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Fork Kentucky River at TallegaRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	137 cfs	Normal	−31.0 cfs	7 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 14 at HeidelbergRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	7 mi
Sturgeon Creek at CressmontRiver gauge, Sturgeon Creek	4.3 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	8 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow ShoalsRiver gauge, Kentucky River	715 cfs	Normal	−173.0 cfs	12 mi
Buckhorn Lake at BuckhornLake, Buckhorn Lake	782.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	15 mi
Middle Fork Kentucky River at Hwy28 near BuckhornRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	3.84 ft	Low	−0.14 ft	16 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at JacksonRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	1.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	17 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 12 near IrvineRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.88 ft	Below flood stage	±0	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville?

The official flood stage is 27.00 ft. The level is currently 23.49 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 South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 02:30 PM EDT, the water level was 3.51 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville?

The highest level on record is 44.33 ft on March 1, 2021.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03281500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.47981, -83.67519 (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	3.51 ft	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional
Flow	61.3 cfs	2026-10-20 18:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville (usgs:03281500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/south-fork-kentucky-river-at-booneville

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