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Buffalo Creek at Sr2819 near McLeansville water level

River gauge, Buffalo Creek, North Carolina, United States

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Right now

Very low for late October

Water level

1.98ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
46.2 cfs
0 10 20 Highest onrecord 21.45 ft Minor floodstage 17.00 ft

History

History
2.02.53.0ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 212.02.53.0ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
246ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 13Oct 21246ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage51015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Buffalo Creek at Sr2819 near McLeansville is running far below normal at 1.98 ft.

That puts it 0.21 ft below the median of 2.19 ft for late October, based on 28 years of readings. It is 15.02 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.06 ft (−0.08 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 1.87 ft and 3.85 ft.

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

Compared with 28 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.19 ft0.21 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.06 ft – 2.93 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (28 years of records)
Same day last year
2.06 ft−0.08 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.87 ft – 3.85 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.89 ft – 13.07 ft
Highest on record
21.45 ftSeptember 17, 2018

Floating and fishing near Buffalo Creek at Sr2819 near McLeansville

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 17.00 ft, 15.02 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
121.45 ftSeptember 17, 2018
220.50 ftAugust 9, 2024
319.93 ftFebruary 7, 2020
419.90 ftNovember 13, 2018
519.35 ftMarch 20, 2003
619.25 ftNovember 13, 2021
719.04 ftOctober 12, 2018
818.08 ftJune 20, 2017
917.84 ftJune 4, 2009
1017.53 ftSeptember 1, 2002

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:36 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on Buffalo Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Buffalo Creek near Hampden SydneyRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek 18.4 cfs Low −1.3 cfs 102 mi
Buffalo Creek at Mount PisgahRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek 4.01 ft Normal −0.02 ft 116 mi
Buffalo Creek below Moss Lake Dam near Oak GroveRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek 3.98 ft No reference yet +0.01 ft 117 mi
Buffalo Creek near BlacksburgRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek 7.76 ft No reference yet −0.03 ft 127 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
North Buffalo Creek near GreensboroRiver gauge, North Buffalo Creek 0.83 ft Very low −0.06 ft 2.6 mi
Reedy Fork near GibsonvilleRiver gauge, Reedy Fork 0.32 ft Very low +0.05 ft 4.1 mi
South Buffalo Creek near GreensboroRiver gauge, South Buffalo Creek 1.15 ft Very low −0.03 ft 5.9 mi
North Buffalo Creek at Church St at GreensboroRiver gauge, North Buffalo Creek 1.99 ft Normal +0.02 ft 7 mi
North Buffalo Creek at Westover Terrace at GreensboroRiver gauge, North Buffalo Creek 0.59 ft Very low +0.04 ft 9 mi
South Buffalo Creek at US 220 at GreensboroRiver gauge, South Buffalo Creek 1.98 ft Low ±0 10 mi
Ryan Creek below US 220 at GreensboroRiver gauge, Ryan Creek 1.01 ft Normal +0.01 ft 10 mi
Horsepen Creek at US 220 near GreensboroRiver gauge, Horsepen Creek 1.93 ft Normal +0.04 ft 11 mi

Questions and answers

How does Buffalo Creek at Sr2819 near McLeansville compare with last year?

It is 0.08 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.06 ft.

What is flood stage for Buffalo Creek at Sr2819 near McLeansville?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 15.02 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Buffalo Creek at Sr2819 near McLeansville in late October?

The median for late October is 2.19 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.06 ft and 2.93 ft, based on 28 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 Buffalo Creek at Sr2819 near McLeansville today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:15 AM EDT, the water level was 1.98 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Buffalo Creek at Sr2819 near McLeansville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Buffalo Creek at Sr2819 near McLeansville normal?

Very low for late October. Compared with 28 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:0209553650 (Agency page)
Coordinates
36.12806, -79.66167 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 1.98 ft 2026-10-21 05:15 Provisional
Flow 46.2 cfs 2026-10-21 05:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buffalo Creek at Sr2819 near McLeansville (usgs:0209553650). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/buffalo-creek-at-sr2819-near-mcleansville

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.