Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near Millersville water level

Name: Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near Millersville 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, Catawba River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for late October

Water level

4.36ft Down 2.29 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT (19 min ago)

Flow: 156 cfs
Water temperature: 67 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near Millersville is running far below normal at 4.36 ft.

The median for late October is 5.37 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.01 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 5.34 ft, a difference of −0.98 ft.

It has dropped 2.29 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 4.36 ft and 12.40 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The water temperature at the gauge is 67 °F.

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.37 ft1.01 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.08 ft – 7.42 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.34 ft−0.98 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 4.36 ft – 12.40 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.54 ft – 12.40 ft

Floating and fishing near Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near Millersville

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 70° 43° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 71° 45° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 69° 46° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 66° 44° – Wind 9 mph

25 Sun 66° 44° – Wind 10 mph

26 Mon 70° 44° – Wind 5 mph

27 Tue 71° 49° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Catawba River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Catawba River near Pleasant GardensRiver gauge, Catawba River	1.81 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	50 mi
Catawba River at Sr1223 below Lake James near BridgewaterRiver gauge, Catawba River	4.06 ft	High	−0.01 ft	37 mi
Catawba River at RhodhissRiver gauge, Catawba River	11.23 ft	Normal	+0.20 ft	14 mi
Catawba River below Lookout Shoals Dam near SharonRiver gauge, Catawba River	11.32 ft	Normal	+0.07 ft	7 mi
Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans FordRiver gauge, Catawba River	3.24 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	30 mi
Catawba River below Lake Wylie Dam Fewell IslandRiver gauge, Catawba River	7.64 ft	No reference yet	−1.40 ft	57 mi
Catawba River near Rock HillRiver gauge, Catawba River	3.62 ft	Normal	±0	59 mi
Catawba River below CatawbaRiver gauge, Catawba River	7.59 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	70 mi
Catawba River at Great FallsRiver gauge, Catawba River	353.31 ft	Normal	+0.44 ft	86 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Little River at Moretz Dam near BethlehemRiver gauge, Middle Little River	4.46 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	5.2 mi
Lower Little River near All Healing SpringsRiver gauge, Lower Little River	0.67 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Upper Little River at Sr1740 at Petra MillsRiver gauge, Upper Little River	34.9 cfs	Normal	−1.9 cfs	10 mi
Henry Fork near Henry RiverRiver gauge, Henry Fork	1.31 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	15 mi
Elk Creek at ElkvilleRiver gauge, Elk Creek	1.00 ft	Normal	±0	21 mi
West Kerr Scott Reservoir at Dam near WilkesboroReservoir, West Kerr Scott Reservoir	1,029.77 ft	Low	+0.09 ft	22 mi
Yadkin River below W Kerr Scott Dam near BuckRiver gauge, Yadkin River	1.89 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	22 mi
Yadkin River at WilkesboroRiver gauge, Yadkin River	2.36 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	23 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near Millersville higher than last year?

No, it is 0.98 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.34 ft.

What is a normal level for the Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near Millersville in late October?

The median for late October is 5.37 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.08 ft and 7.42 ft, based on 9 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 Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near Millersville today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT, the water level was 4.36 ft. Down 2.29 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near Millersville rising or falling?

Down 2.29 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 4.13 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near Millersville normal?

Very low for late October. Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:0214196125 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.82190, -81.19038 (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	4.36 ft	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Flow	156 cfs	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Water temperature	67 °F	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near Millersville (usgs:0214196125). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/catawba-river-at-nc-highway-16-near-millersville

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