Clarke Creek near Harrisburg water level

Name: Clarke Creek near Harrisburg 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, Clarke Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very high for late October

Water level

3.87ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:20 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 4.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Clarke Creek near Harrisburg shows 3.87 ft, well above normal for late October.

The median for late October is 2.60 ft, based on 22 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.28 ft above typical. It is 10.13 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.65 ft, a difference of +0.22 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.72 ft and 5.73 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.60 ft1.28 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.06 ft – 3.61 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (22 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.65 ft+0.22 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.72 ft – 5.73 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.58 ft – 5.73 ft
Highest on record: 15.27 ftJune 29, 2013

High water at Clarke Creek near Harrisburg

The National Weather Service splits flooding into minor, moderate and major flood stage, each tied to what starts to go under water at this particular gauge. Minor flooding usually means low roads, parks and farmland; major flooding reaches homes and businesses.

Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft: Major flooding continues. Ramah Creek, an upstream tributary to Clarke Creek, may be flooding Huntersville-Concord Rd.
21.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Historic, catastrophic flooding of Clarke Creek is developing with disastrous impacts to property. Extraordinary flooding exceeding 6 ft deep is overwhelming low-lying areas. Basements and crawl spaces may be completely submerged. First-floor building elevations may be experiencing ruinous flooding greater than 1 ft deep, including along Northchase Dr and Three Greens Dr. Roadway inundation exceeding 3-4 ft may be stranding several homes and businesses, severely restricting travel.
19.00 ft: Moderate flooding continues. Clarke Creek may be approaching Harris Road.
18.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Extremely rare, damaging flooding is developing adjacent to Clarke Creek with considerable impacts to property and travel. Significant flooding reaching 4-6 ft deep is ongoing for low-lying areas. Secondary roads, outbuildings, crawl spaces, and/or basements may be experiencing flooding reaching 2-4 feet deep, including along Northchase Dr and Three Greens Dr. Flooding less than 1 ft deep may begin for first-floor building elevations. Some homes and businesses may be stranded.
14.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Common, deeper flooding of low-lying areas adjacent to Clarke Creek is developing with lesser impacts to vulnerable property. More significant floodwaters are beginning to impact low-lying areas, with inundation approximately 2-4 ft deep. Adjacent mobile home/RV parks, secondary roads, and outbuildings may be experiencing flooding up to 1-2 ft deep. Flooding less than 1 ft deep may begin impacting basements and primary roads. Significant flooding of Rocky River is likely.
9.00 ft: Action/Advisory Stage. Common, nuisance flooding of low-lying areas adjacent to Clarke Creek is beginning. Nuisance to Minor flooding along Rocky River may be imminent. Floodwaters are beginning to impact farmland, woodlands, nurseries, parks, athletic fields, golf courses, greenways, and boat-access areas with up to 2 feet of inundation. Adjacent mobile home/RV parks and secondary roads may experience floodwater inundation of up to 1 foot.
3.87 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.27 ft	June 29, 2013
2	14.14 ft	August 27, 2008
3	13.14 ft	November 12, 2020
4	12.70 ft	February 6, 2020
5	12.43 ft	December 30, 2015
6	11.61 ft	March 2, 2007
7	11.51 ft	September 28, 2004
8	11.14 ft	April 20, 2015
9	10.54 ft	January 25, 2010
10	10.39 ft	April 13, 2019

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near CorneliusRiver gauge, West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River	2.97 ft	High	−0.01 ft	4.3 mi
Mallard Creek below Stony Creek near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Mallard Creek	2.55 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	6.0 mi
Coddle Creek at SR 1612 near DavidsonRiver gauge, Coddle Creek	2.05 ft	High	−0.02 ft	6 mi
Torrence Creek at Bradford Hill Ln near HuntersvlleRiver gauge, Torrence Creek	1.19 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	7 mi
McDowell Creek near HuntersvilleRiver gauge, McDowell Creek	1.49 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	8 mi
Back Creek at Sr1173 near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Back Creek	2.29 ft	Normal	±0	8 mi
Gar Creek at Sr2074 near CroftRiver gauge, Gar Creek	1.02 ft	Low	±0	9 mi
McDowell Creek Tributary at Sr2131 near Hicks CrossroadsRiver gauge, McDowell Creek Tributary	1.22 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

Is Clarke Creek near Harrisburg higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.22 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.65 ft.

What is flood stage for Clarke Creek near Harrisburg?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 10.13 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Clarke Creek near Harrisburg in late October?

The median for late October is 2.60 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.06 ft and 3.61 ft, based on 22 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 Clarke Creek near Harrisburg today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:20 AM EDT, the water level was 3.87 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Clarke Creek near Harrisburg rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Clarke Creek near Harrisburg normal?

Very high for late October. Compared with 22 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:02124080 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.41417, -80.75194 (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	3.87 ft	2026-10-21 09:20	Provisional
Flow	4.4 cfs	2026-10-21 09:20	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Clarke Creek near Harrisburg (usgs:02124080). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/clarke-creek-near-harrisburg

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