East Fork Pigeon River near Canton water level

Name: East Fork Pigeon River near Canton 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, East Fork Pigeon River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for late October

Water level

-0.08ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 02:45 AM EDT (33 min ago)

Flow: 55.8 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 East Fork Pigeon River near Canton: the gauge reads −0.08 ft, below normal for late October.

That puts it 1.11 ft below the median of 1.03 ft for late October, based on 31 years of readings. It is 8.58 ft below the flood stage of 8.50 ft. A year ago it stood at −0.16 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 −0.48 ft – 2.11 ft.

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

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.03 ft1.11 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: −0.13 ft – 1.68 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year: −0.16 ft+0.08 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: −0.48 ft – 2.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: −0.48 ft – 2.11 ft
Highest on record: 16.03 ftAugust 17, 2021

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 8.50 ft.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Record flooding continues. The US 276 bridge is being overtopped.
16.03 ft: Record Flood Stage. Set on August 17, 2021 at 545pm EDT. Peak streamflow was 19800cfs.
16.00 ft: WATER REACHES US 276 BRIDGE.
14.00 ft: PARTS OF MAX THOMPSON AND MUDDY FIELD ROADS ARE CLOSED...ALONG WITH US 276 JUST WEST OF BRIDGE.
13.00 ft: NUMEROUS HOMES ON HIDDEN VALLEY CIRCLE ARE FLOODED.
12.00 ft: RIVER REACHES BASE OF DIX CREEK ROAD BRIDGE (SSR 1106)
10.00 ft: WATER REACHES HOUSES NEAR RIVER ON HIDDEN VALLEY CIRCLE.
9.70 ft: RIVER WILL APPROACH MUDDY FIELD ROAD SOUTH OF US 276 AND FLOODS HOMES BETWEEN THE RIVER AND MAX THOMPSON ROAD.
9.00 ft: WATER REACHES MAX THOMPSON RD BETWEEN GOODSON LANE AND WILLIS WAY AND FLOODS HOMES NEAR THE RIVER ON HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD.
8.50 ft: BACKWATER ON LOCAL CREEKS WILL START TO FLOOD HOMES OFF OF HIDDEN VALLEY RD AND A FEW HOMES WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD BETWEEN THE RIVER AND MAX THOMPSON ROAD.
8.00 ft: BACKWATER ON LOCAL CREEKS BEGINS TO APPROACH HOMES ON HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD. MAX THOMPSON ROAD SOUTH OF NORMAN ROAD STARTS TO FLOOD AND APPROACHES HOMES NEAR THE RIVER.
7.00 ft: FLOODING OF LOWLAND BETWEEN HIGHWAY 276 AND THE RIVER WILL OCCUR. LOW LYING AREAS ON MAX THOMPSON ROAD WILL BE FLOODED.
−0.08 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.03 ft	August 17, 2021
2	13.05 ft	September 17, 2004
3	12.03 ft	September 8, 2004
4	11.19 ft	April 28, 1973
5	11.03 ft	September 7, 2004
6	10.80 ft	April 13, 2020
7	10.13 ft	February 13, 1966
8	10.08 ft	May 15, 1976
9	7.87 ft	December 29, 2015
10	7.69 ft	October 23, 2017

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Fork Pigeon River at BethelRiver gauge, West Fork Pigeon River	0.12 ft	Very low	±0	1.7 mi
Pigeon River near CantonRiver gauge, Pigeon River	1.43 ft	Low	±0	4.3 mi
West F Pigeon River above Lake Logan near HazelwoodRiver gauge, West F Pigeon River	0.84 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	5.9 mi
Pigeon River near HepcoRiver gauge, Pigeon River	1.77 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	14 mi
Davidson River near BrevardRiver gauge, Davidson River	0.71 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Mills River near Mills RiverRiver gauge, Mills River	1.82 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	16 mi
Hominy Creek near West AshevilleRiver gauge, Hominy Creek	1.15 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	17 mi
French Broad River at BlantyreRiver gauge, French Broad River	5.53 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	18 mi

Questions and answers

How does the East Fork Pigeon River near Canton compare with last year?

It is 0.08 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was −0.16 ft.

What is flood stage for the East Fork Pigeon River near Canton?

The official flood stage is 8.50 ft. The level is currently 8.58 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the East Fork Pigeon River near Canton in late October?

The median for late October is 1.03 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between −0.13 ft and 1.68 ft, based on 31 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 East Fork Pigeon River near Canton today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 02:45 AM EDT, the water level was −0.08 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is East Fork Pigeon River near Canton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.34 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of East Fork Pigeon River near Canton normal?

Low for late October. Compared with 31 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:03456500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.46167, -82.86972 (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	−0.08 ft	2026-10-21 06:45	Provisional
Flow	55.8 cfs	2026-10-21 06:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: East Fork Pigeon River near Canton (usgs:03456500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/east-fork-pigeon-river-near-canton

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