Bolin Creek at Village Drive at Chapel Hill water level

Name: Bolin Creek at Village Drive at Chapel Hill 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, Bolin Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for late October

Water level

1.05ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 0.3 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

At 1.05 ft, Bolin Creek at Village Drive at Chapel Hill is far below normal for late October.

That puts it 0.72 ft below the median of 1.77 ft for late October, based on 14 years of readings. It is 13.95 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.45 ft (−0.40 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.82 ft and 1.57 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 14 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.77 ft0.72 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.46 ft – 2.04 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (14 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.45 ft−0.40 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.82 ft – 1.57 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.70 ft – 2.18 ft
Highest on record: 23.10 ftSeptember 6, 1996

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 15.00 ft, still 13.95 ft away.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Minor flooding begins. Village Drive and Umstead Drive are flooded.
13.00 ft: Action Stage. Water reaches the bridge across Village Drive.
1.05 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.10 ft	September 6, 1996
2	22.67 ft	June 29, 1973
3	22.19 ft	February 2, 1973
4	16.00 ft	September 12, 1996
5	10.41 ft	September 17, 2018

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:34 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Booker Creek at SR 1751 near Chapel HillRiver gauge, Booker Creek	3.82 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	1.7 mi
Morgan Creek near White CrossRiver gauge, Morgan Creek	1.83 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	2.7 mi
Morgan Creek near Chapel HillRiver gauge, Morgan Creek	4.02 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	3.3 mi
New Hope Creek near BlandsRiver gauge, New Hope Creek	4.09 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	6.2 mi
Third Fork Creek at Woodcroft Parkway near BlandsRiver gauge, Third Fork Creek	1.28 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	6 mi
Sandy Creek at Cornwallis Road near DurhamRiver gauge, Sandy Creek	1.97 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at DurhamRiver gauge, Third Fork Creek	0.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	8 mi
Cane Creek near Orange GroveRiver gauge, Cane Creek	0.78 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

How does Bolin Creek at Village Drive at Chapel Hill compare with last year?

It is 0.40 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.45 ft.

What is flood stage for Bolin Creek at Village Drive at Chapel Hill?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 13.95 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Bolin Creek at Village Drive at Chapel Hill in late October?

The median for late October is 1.77 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.46 ft and 2.04 ft, based on 14 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 Bolin Creek at Village Drive at Chapel Hill today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT, the water level was 1.05 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Bolin Creek at Village Drive at Chapel Hill rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Bolin Creek at Village Drive at Chapel Hill normal?

Very low for late October. Compared with 14 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:0209734440 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.92231, -79.06600 (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	1.05 ft	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Flow	0.3 cfs	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Bolin Creek at Village Drive at Chapel Hill (usgs:0209734440). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/bolin-creek-at-village-drive-at-chapel-hill

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