South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana water level

Name: South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana 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 Licking River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.00ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 88.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 08:52 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana is at 5.00 ft, in the normal range.

It is 15.00 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 5.00 ft and 5.32 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 28.53 ftMarch 3, 1997
Forecast peak: 5.00 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana

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

Flood stage here is 20.00 ft, 15.00 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

28.50 ft: Much of western and a large part of southern Cynthiana is flooded. Water is 3 feet deep in western business district. KY 356 bridge is closed.
27.00 ft: KY 356 bridge floods.
26.00 ft: A large section of US 27 is closed one quater mile north of town. Town is cutoff.
25.00 ft: Approaches to KY 356 bridge are flooded.
24.00 ft: Water enters some businesses. Sections of US 62, US 27, KY 36 south and west of town flood.
23.00 ft: Some homes on west side of town flood.
22.00 ft: Intersections of Pearl and Locust, Poplar and Penn, and Poplar and Cromwell Alley flood. KY 36 (Pleasant Street) between Locust and W. Pike flood. KY 983 before Infirmary Road floods.
21.00 ft: Intersection of Louis Stout Way and Newsome Avenue floods.
20.00 ft: A large section of city park floods. Water begins to back up in some streets in west side of town.
19.00 ft: Several roads are closed outside of city limits.
16.00 ft: River Road is blocked. Riverside park floods.
5.00 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	28.53 ft	March 3, 1997
2	23.32 ft	April 13, 1948
3	23.02 ft	February 16, 1989
4	22.99 ft	December 10, 1978
5	22.98 ft	April 5, 2015
6	22.60 ft	January 24, 1922
7	22.59 ft	March 5, 1964
8	22.40 ft	May 20, 2020
9	22.30 ft	December 7, 1919
10	21.98 ft	April 13, 2011

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 71° 40° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 72° 38° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 73° 46° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 73° 46° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 74° 46° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 74° 49° – Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 74° 51° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:52 AM Sunset 06:54 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the South Fork Licking River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Licking River at Kirkersville OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	12.4 cfs	High	±0	142 mi
South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	871.61 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	145 mi
South Fork Licking River near Hebron OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	2.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	148 mi
South Fork Licking River at Heath OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	5.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	152 mi
South Fork Licking River at HayesRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	127 cfs	Normal	−9.0 cfs	19 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Eagle Creek at SadievilleRiver gauge, Eagle Creek	0.2 cfs	Normal	±0	13 mi
Stoner Creek at Water Plant at ParisRiver gauge, Stoner Creek	13.21 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	13 mi
Licking River at McKinneysburgRiver gauge, Licking River	4.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.38 ft	15 mi
Licking River at Blue Lick SpringsRiver gauge, Licking River	4.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.32 ft	17 mi
Hinkston Creek near CarlisleRiver gauge, Hinkston Creek	7.4 cfs	Normal	−3.5 cfs	17 mi
North Elkhorn Creek at GeorgetownRiver gauge, North Elkhorn Creek	31.8 cfs	Normal	−8.9 cfs	18 mi
Royal Springs at GeorgetownRiver gauge, Royal Springs	0.3 cfs	Low	−0.3 cfs	19 mi
North Fork Licking River near Mount OlivetRiver gauge, North Fork Licking River	1.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	21 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 15.00 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 Licking River at Cynthiana today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT, the water level was 5.00 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana?

The highest level on record is 28.53 ft on March 3, 1997.

Is South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03252500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.39091, -84.30299 (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	5.00 ft	2026-10-20 16:30	Provisional
Flow	88.4 cfs	2026-10-20 16:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana (usgs:03252500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/south-fork-licking-river-at-cynthiana

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