Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near Franklin water level

Name: Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near Franklin 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, Cartoogechaye Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for late October

Water level

0.19ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 04:30 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 35.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near Franklin: the gauge reads 0.19 ft, far below normal for late October.

That puts it 0.14 ft below the median of 0.33 ft for late October, based on 8 years of readings. It is 11.81 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 0.27 ft (−0.08 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.08 ft – 1.45 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.33 ft0.14 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.20 ft – 1.11 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (8 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.27 ft−0.08 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.08 ft – 1.45 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.03 ft – 2.84 ft
Highest on record: 15.60 ftJune 1, 1949

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: WATER WILL OVERTOP THE NEW AND OLD HIGHWAY 23/441 BRIDGES.
16.00 ft: WATER APPROACHES ROLLER MILL RD AND PT PLEASANT RD JUST NORTH OF CREEK.
15.00 ft: WATER WILL REACH RED ROOF BUILDINGS AT US 23/441...WIDE HORIZON DRIVE AND INTO PARKING LOTS JUST WEST OF US 23/441. MOST OF THE FAIR GROUNDS WILL BE FLOODED.
14.00 ft: THE BRIDGE ON BLEDEN CIRCLE ROAD WILL LIKELY BE CLOSED AND PARKING LOTS OF BUSINESSES BETWEEN BLEDEN CIRCLE AND GEORGIA ROAD WILL BE FLOODED. MUCH OF THE MACON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS WILL BE FLOODED.
13.00 ft: WATER WILL BE AT THE BOTTOM OF BLEDEN CIRCLE ROAD BRIDGE. ONE OUTBUILDING OFF OF POINT PLEASANT ROAD WILL BE FLOODED. MOST OF THE FAIRGROUNDS WILL BE FLOODED.
12.00 ft: BUILDINGS ON THE MACON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS WILL BE FLOODED. WATER APPROACHS ROLLER MILL AND POINT PLEASANT ROADS. THE LITTLE TENNESSEE RIVER GREENWAY WILL BE FLOODED.
11.00 ft: LOW AREAS BETWEEN BELDEN CIRCLE AND THE RIVER WILL BE FLOODED. BALLFIELDS NEAR THE RIVER WILL ALSO BE FLOODED. NO ROADS OR BUILDINGS AFFECTED AT THIS LEVEL. ELEVATION = 2028 FT
10.00 ft: BALLFIELDS...PARKING LOTS AND PARTS OF THE FAIRGROUNDS NEAR THE CREEK EAST OF GEORGIA ROAD WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD. ELEVATION 2027 FT.
9.00 ft: LOW SPOTS WITHIN THE MACON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD. ELEVATION= 2026 FT
7.00 ft: BANKFULL STAGE= ELEVATION 2024 FT
4.50 ft: 4.5 IN IN 12 HOURS WILL CAUSE A 4.5 FT RISE
1.00 ft: GENERAL RAIN OF 1 INCH IN 3 HOURS CAUSED A 2.5 FT RISE
0.19 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.60 ft	June 1, 1949
2	14.12 ft	September 17, 2004
3	14.08 ft	September 17, 2004
4	12.96 ft	October 4, 1964
5	12.78 ft	May 28, 1973
6	12.59 ft	February 16, 1995
7	12.09 ft	December 24, 2015
8	11.72 ft	October 5, 1995
9	11.51 ft	February 16, 1990
10	11.40 ft	January 31, 2013

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Tennessee River near PrentissRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River	1.42 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	2.6 mi
Nantahala River near Rainbow SpringsRiver gauge, Nantahala River	0.92 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Little Tennessee River at NeedmoreRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River	1.91 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Nantahala River near HewittRiver gauge, Nantahala River	1.21 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Tuckasegee River at Barker's CreekRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River	3.14 ft	Low	±0	17 mi
Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near CullowheeRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River	3.95 ft	Very low	−0.11 ft	18 mi
Tuckasegee River at Bryson CityRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River	1.98 ft	Normal	±0	19 mi
Tallulah River near ClaytonRiver gauge, Tallulah River	1.77 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

How does Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near Franklin compare with last year?

It is 0.08 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.27 ft.

What is flood stage for Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near Franklin?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 11.81 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near Franklin in late October?

The median for late October is 0.33 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.20 ft and 1.11 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 Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near Franklin today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:30 AM EDT, the water level was 0.19 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near Franklin rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.14 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near Franklin normal?

Very low 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:0350011450 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.15777, -83.42437 (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	0.19 ft	2026-10-21 08:30	Provisional
Flow	35.0 cfs	2026-10-21 08:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near Franklin (usgs:0350011450). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/cartoogechaye-creek-at-sr-1148-near-franklin

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