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Catawba River near Pleasant Gardens water level

River gauge, Catawba River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.86ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
155 cfs
Water temperature
58 °F
0 10 Highest onrecord 17.55 ft Minor floodstage 11.00 ft

History

23ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 2023ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
510ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20Minor flood stage510ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20Minor flood stage
510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
246ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026246ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Catawba River near Pleasant Gardens reads 1.86 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.13 ft above the median of 1.73 ft for mid-October, based on 28 years of readings. It is 9.14 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.26 ft (+0.60 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.18 ft and 6.97 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 58 °F.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.73 ft0.13 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.19 ft – 2.27 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (28 years of records)
Same day last year
1.26 ft+0.60 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.18 ft – 6.97 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.00 ft – 6.97 ft
Highest on record
17.55 ftSeptember 8, 2004

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 11.00 ft, still 9.14 ft away.

What happens at each level

17.55 ft
FLOODING WILL BE SIMILAR TO THE FLOODING THAT OCCURRED WITH HURRICANE FRANCES IN SEPTEMBER 2004.
15.22 ft
FLOODING WILL BE SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED IN AUGUST 1994 WITH TROPICAL STORM BERYL
14.50 ft
CATAWBA RIVER STARTS TO CAUSE PROBLEMS IN TOWNS NEAR THE RIVER WITH FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS ALONG THE RIVER AND SOME ROADS.
13.64 ft
FLOODING WILL BE SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH OCCURRED WITH HURRICANE IVAN IN SEPTEMBER 2004
12.00 ft
PLEASANT GARDENS AND DEER FIELD CAMPGROUNDS WILL LIKELY HAVE TO BE EVACUATED.
11.00 ft
Minor Flood Stage. The Catawba River may be starting to flood the Riverbreeze Campground located a few miles downstream of the gauge, especially if high flows are occurring along Buck Creek due to spillage at Lake Tahoma upstream.
9.00 ft
Action Stage. The Catawba River is beginning to exceed its banks close to the Tom Johnson-Camping World Camping Center and flood adjacent low-lying areas. Floodwaters are approaching and may begin to flood the access road that travels underneath the Resistoflex Rd. bridge at the Camping Center and may begin to impact Riverside Park.
1.86 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
117.55 ftSeptember 8, 2004
215.72 ftMay 30, 2018
315.22 ftAugust 17, 1994
415.15 ftJanuary 8, 1998
513.72 ftMay 6, 2013
613.64 ftSeptember 17, 2004
713.60 ftFebruary 2, 1983
813.30 ftOctober 5, 1995
913.13 ftOctober 11, 2018
1011.14 ftAugust 25, 1990

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 60° 46° – Wind 19 mph
18 Sun 59° 42° – Wind 9 mph
19 Mon 69° 41° – Wind 7 mph
20 Tue 74° 46° – Wind 5 mph
21 Wed 70° 47° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 73° 47° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 70° 46° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:48 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Catawba River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Catawba River at Sr1223 below Lake James near BridgewaterRiver gauge, Catawba River 4.12 ft High +0.04 ft 13 mi
Catawba River at RhodhissRiver gauge, Catawba River 11.28 ft Normal −0.14 ft 36 mi
Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near MillersvilleRiver gauge, Catawba River 6.67 ft High ±0 50 mi
Catawba River below Lookout Shoals Dam near SharonRiver gauge, Catawba River 13.00 ft High +0.03 ft 55 mi
Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans FordRiver gauge, Catawba River 5.76 ft High +2.55 ft 65 mi
Catawba River below Lake Wylie Dam Fewell IslandRiver gauge, Catawba River 9.05 ft No reference yet −0.78 ft 75 mi
Catawba River near Rock HillRiver gauge, Catawba River 3.60 ft Normal +0.01 ft 78 mi
Catawba River below CatawbaRiver gauge, Catawba River 6.62 ft High −0.02 ft 89 mi
Catawba River at Great FallsRiver gauge, Catawba River 353.47 ft Normal +0.22 ft 100 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Linville River near NeboRiver gauge, Linville River 2.18 ft Very high −0.02 ft 12 mi
South Toe River near CeloRiver gauge, South Toe River 0.94 ft Normal −0.03 ft 12 mi
North Fork Swannanoa River near WalkertownRiver gauge, North Fork Swannanoa River 7.95 ft Very high −0.02 ft 15 mi
Cove Creek near Lake LureRiver gauge, Cove Creek 2.20 ft Normal −0.02 ft 18 mi
Beetree Creek near SwannanoaRiver gauge, Beetree Creek 1.43 ft Normal −0.01 ft 19 mi
Johns River at Arneys StoreRiver gauge, Johns River 2.40 ft Normal −0.04 ft 22 mi
Second Broad River near LoganRiver gauge, Second Broad River 1.84 ft Normal −0.03 ft 22 mi
First Broad River near CasarRiver gauge, First Broad River 0.59 ft Normal −0.01 ft 25 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Catawba River near Pleasant Gardens compare with last year?

It is 0.60 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.26 ft.

What is flood stage for the Catawba River near Pleasant Gardens?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 9.14 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Catawba River near Pleasant Gardens in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.73 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.19 ft and 2.27 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 Catawba River near Pleasant Gardens today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.86 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Catawba River near Pleasant Gardens rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.73 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Catawba River near Pleasant Gardens normal?

Normal for mid-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:02137727 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.68583, -82.06028 (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 1.86 ft 2026-10-20 22:45 Provisional
Flow 155 cfs 2026-10-20 22:45 Provisional
Water temperature 58 °F 2026-10-20 22:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Catawba River near Pleasant Gardens (usgs:02137727). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/catawba-river-near-pleasant-gardens

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