First Broad River at Lawndale water level

Name: First Broad River at Lawndale 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, First Broad River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.01ft Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 107 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at First Broad River at Lawndale, where the gauge shows 1.01 ft.

That puts it 0.09 ft above the median of 0.92 ft for mid-October, based on 18 years of readings. It is 18.99 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 0.97 ft (+0.04 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 0.29 ft – 8.08 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.92 ft0.09 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.34 ft – 1.51 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.97 ft+0.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.29 ft – 8.08 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.34 ft – 8.08 ft
Highest on record: 23.94 ftFebruary 7, 2020

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 20.00 ft.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: MAIN STREET BRIDGE BEGINS TO FLOOD.
18.00 ft: AN OLD MILL THAT IS CLOSED WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD AND A DIRT ROAD NEAR OFF MAIN STREET WILL FLOOD.
12.20 ft: BANKFULL STAGE.
3.00 ft: 3 INCH AREA BELOW THIS SITE IN 2 HOURS DID NOT CAUSE FLOODING. AREA WHERE RAIN FELL IS MOSTLY FARM LAND. BROAD RIVER AT GAFFNEY DID RISE ABOUT 4.5 FT
1.01 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.94 ft	February 7, 2020
2	18.81 ft	July 27, 2013
3	16.31 ft	January 25, 2010
4	16.18 ft	May 6, 2013
5	14.16 ft	May 14, 2012
6	13.71 ft	November 11, 2009
7	10.10 ft	September 13, 2014
8	9.69 ft	January 7, 2009
9	9.62 ft	March 6, 2011
10	7.62 ft	April 20, 2015

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the First Broad River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
First Broad River near CasarRiver gauge, First Broad River	0.59 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Jacob Fork at RamseyRiver gauge, Jacob Fork	1.80 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	12 mi
Broad River near Boiling SpringsRiver gauge, Broad River	1.85 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	16 mi
Indian Creek near LaboratoryRiver gauge, Indian Creek	0.86 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	17 mi
Second Broad River near LoganRiver gauge, Second Broad River	1.84 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	18 mi
Gaston Shoals Reservoir above BlacksburgReservoir, Gaston Shoals Reservoir	93.67 ft	Very low	+0.71 ft	19 mi
Long Creek near Bessemer CityRiver gauge, Long Creek	0.93 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	20 mi
Broad River near BlacksburgRiver gauge, Broad River	3.11 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	20 mi
Henry Fork near Henry RiverRiver gauge, Henry Fork	1.33 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	21 mi

Questions and answers

How does the First Broad River at Lawndale compare with last year?

It is 0.04 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.97 ft.

What is flood stage for the First Broad River at Lawndale?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 18.99 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the First Broad River at Lawndale in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.92 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.34 ft and 1.51 ft, based on 18 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 First Broad River at Lawndale today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 AM EDT, the water level was 1.01 ft. Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is First Broad River at Lawndale rising or falling?

Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 1.31 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of First Broad River at Lawndale normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 18 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:02152474 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.41528, -81.56167 (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	1.01 ft	2026-10-20 07:15	Provisional
Flow	107 cfs	2026-10-20 07:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/11945?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="First Broad River at Lawndale water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: First Broad River at Lawndale (usgs:02152474). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/first-broad-river-at-lawndale

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