Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans Ford water level

Name: Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans Ford 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

Low for late October

Water level

3.18ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 02:15 AM EDT (25 min ago)

Water temperature: 73 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Low water at Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans Ford: the gauge reads 3.18 ft, below normal for late October.

The median for late October is 3.86 ft, based on 10 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.68 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 3.85 ft, a difference of −0.67 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

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 73 °F.

Compared with 10 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.86 ft0.68 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.05 ft – 5.64 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (10 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.85 ft−0.67 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.05 ft – 8.83 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.62 ft – 6.26 ft

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 70° 52° – Wind 19 mph

18 Sun 60° 46° – Wind 18 mph

19 Mon 69° 45° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 76° 46° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 72° 47° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 73° 45° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 72° 46° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the Catawba River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Catawba River near Pleasant GardensRiver gauge, Catawba River	1.82 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	65 mi
Catawba River at Sr1223 below Lake James near BridgewaterRiver gauge, Catawba River	4.07 ft	High	±0	54 mi
Catawba River at RhodhissRiver gauge, Catawba River	11.11 ft	Normal	±0	36 mi
Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near MillersvilleRiver gauge, Catawba River	4.37 ft	Very low	−2.27 ft	30 mi
Catawba River below Lookout Shoals Dam near SharonRiver gauge, Catawba River	11.29 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	24 mi
Catawba River below Lake Wylie Dam Fewell IslandRiver gauge, Catawba River	6.07 ft	No reference yet	+0.02 ft	29 mi
Catawba River near Rock HillRiver gauge, Catawba River	3.88 ft	Normal	±0	31 mi
Catawba River below CatawbaRiver gauge, Catawba River	7.44 ft	High	−0.01 ft	41 mi
Catawba River at Great FallsRiver gauge, Catawba River	352.95 ft	Normal	−0.53 ft	57 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
McDowell Creek Tributary at Sr2131 near Hicks CrossroadsRiver gauge, McDowell Creek Tributary	1.22 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	2.9 mi
McDowell Creek near Charlotte, Nc Csw10River gauge, McDowell Creek	3.86 ft	High	+0.13 ft	3.3 mi
McDowell Creek near HuntersvilleRiver gauge, McDowell Creek	1.52 ft	Normal	±0	4.0 mi
Killian Creek near MariposaRiver gauge, Killian Creek	3.01 ft	High	+0.11 ft	4.1 mi
Torrence Creek at Bradford Hill Ln near HuntersvlleRiver gauge, Torrence Creek	1.19 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	4.5 mi
Gar Creek at Sr2074 near CroftRiver gauge, Gar Creek	1.02 ft	Low	±0	5.7 mi
Catawba River Dnstrm Deck Mountain Is Dam near MountainRiver gauge, Catawba River Dnstrm Deck Mountain Is Dam	8.53 ft	Normal	−0.15 ft	7 mi
Long Creek near Paw CreekRiver gauge, Long Creek	1.45 ft	Normal	+0.15 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans Ford higher than last year?

No, it is 0.67 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.85 ft.

What is a normal level for the Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans Ford in late October?

The median for late October is 3.86 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.05 ft and 5.64 ft, based on 10 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 Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans Ford today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 02:15 AM EDT, the water level was 3.18 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans Ford rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 3.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans Ford normal?

Low for late October. Compared with 10 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:0214264790 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.42773, -80.95734 (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	3.18 ft	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional
Water temperature	73 °F	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans Ford (usgs:0214264790). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/catawba-river-at-rr-bridge-above-nc-73-at-cowans-ford

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