Booker Creek at SR 1751 near Chapel Hill water level

Name: Booker Creek at SR 1751 near 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, Booker Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

3.83ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT (33 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Booker Creek at SR 1751 near Chapel Hill, where the gauge shows 3.83 ft.

That puts it 0.05 ft below the median of 3.88 ft for late October, based on 8 years of readings. It is 8.17 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.25 ft (−0.42 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.67 ft – 4.70 ft.

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

Compared with 8 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.88 ft0.05 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.60 ft – 4.22 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (8 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.25 ft−0.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.67 ft – 4.70 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.01 ft – 5.18 ft
Highest on record: 8.44 ftJanuary 9, 2024

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

19.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Piney Mountains Rd is impassable.
17.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Floodwaters reach Piney Mountains Rd.
12.00 ft: Minor flooding begins. Low areas adjacent to Booker Creek flood, including a walking trail along the creek.
10.00 ft: Action Stage
7.00 ft: Bankfull. Overflow on the right bank.
3.83 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	8.44 ft	January 9, 2024
2	8.39 ft	July 13, 2022
3	7.59 ft	October 11, 2021
4	7.34 ft	June 23, 2023
5	7.29 ft	February 6, 2020

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
Bolin Creek at Village Drive at Chapel HillRiver gauge, Bolin Creek	1.05 ft	Very low	−0.06 ft	1.7 mi
Morgan Creek near Chapel HillRiver gauge, Morgan Creek	4.06 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	3.7 mi
Morgan Creek near White CrossRiver gauge, Morgan Creek	1.83 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	3.9 mi
Third Fork Creek at Woodcroft Parkway near BlandsRiver gauge, Third Fork Creek	1.28 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	5.6 mi
Sandy Creek at Cornwallis Road near DurhamRiver gauge, Sandy Creek	1.97 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	5.9 mi
New Hope Creek near BlandsRiver gauge, New Hope Creek	4.10 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	6.1 mi
Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at DurhamRiver gauge, Third Fork Creek	0.24 ft	Below flood stage	±0	7 mi
Northeast Creek Tributary at Sr1182 near Lowes GroveRiver gauge, Northeast Creek Tributary	1.67 ft	Very high	−0.08 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

How does Booker Creek at SR 1751 near Chapel Hill compare with last year?

It is 0.42 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.25 ft.

What is flood stage for Booker Creek at SR 1751 near Chapel Hill?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 8.17 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Booker Creek at SR 1751 near Chapel Hill in late October?

The median for late October is 3.88 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.60 ft and 4.22 ft, based on 8 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 Booker Creek at SR 1751 near Chapel Hill today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT, the water level was 3.83 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Booker Creek at SR 1751 near Chapel Hill rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Booker Creek at SR 1751 near Chapel Hill normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 8 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:02097386 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.94200, -79.04903 (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	3.83 ft	2026-10-21 09:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Booker Creek at SR 1751 near Chapel Hill (usgs:02097386). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/booker-creek-at-sr-1751-near-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