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French Broad River at Blantyre water level

River gauge, French Broad River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.62ft Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
440 cfs
10 20 30 Highest onrecord 28.43 ft Minor floodstage 16.00 ft

History

51015ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Minor flood stage51015ftOct 16Oct 20Oct 24Minor flood stage
51015ftSep 21Sep 29Oct 7Oct 16Oct 24Minor flood stage51015ftSep 21Oct 7Oct 24Minor flood stage
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage51015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
51015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202651015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.50 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:20 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at French Broad River at Blantyre, where the gauge shows 5.62 ft.

The median for mid-October is 6.14 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.52 ft below typical. It is 10.38 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 5.33 ft, a difference of +0.29 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.11 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.50 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM. The 30-day range is 4.34 ft – 16.78 ft.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
6.14 ft0.52 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.17 ft – 8.19 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year
5.33 ft+0.29 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.34 ft – 16.78 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
4.19 ft – 16.78 ft
Highest on record
28.43 ftSeptember 28, 2024
Forecast peak
5.70 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 16.00 ft.

What happens at each level

31.00 ft
Record Flooding continues. The bridge at Grove Bridge Rd. and the adjacent gauge site will be inundated.
27.10 ft
Record Flood Stage. At this level, floodwaters are likely impacting nearby homes and commercial buildings.
25.50 ft
Major Flooding continues. Floodwater levels will be similar to levels that occurred on September 9 , 2004 with Hurricane Frances.
23.00 ft
Major Flood Stage. Significant flooding of secondary roads is likely ongoing. Floodwaters may be inundating portions of US 64. Homes and commercial buildings within the vicinity of US 64 and adjacent secondary roads may be threatened by approaching or rising floodwaters. Floodwaters will reach levels similar to 1994 with Tropical Storm Beryl.
21.00 ft
Moderate Flooding continues. Significant flooding of farmland along the French Broad River is ongoing. Floodwaters are inundating River Rd. and Big Willow Rd. and are likely threatening other roads in the local area including Grove Bridge Rd., Pleasant Grove Rd. and Tally Rd. Floodwaters will be approaching levels similar to levels reached on September 22, 2009.
20.00 ft
Moderate Flooding continues. Significant flooding of farmland along the French Broad River is ongoing. Floodwaters may begin inundating the trailer park on River Ridge Rd. and may be impacting some buildings along US 64 north of Grove Bridge Rd.
19.01 ft
...impacts continued from 19.0 statement... Floodwaters may be threatening a trailer park on River Ridge Rd. Floodwaters may be approaching buildings north of Grove Bridge Rd along US 64 and along the river near Brevard. Associated tributaries, including the Little River near Penrose, are likely experiencing significant flooding due to high water levels on the French Broad River.
19.00 ft
Moderate Flood Stage. Extensive flooding of the upper French Broad River Valley is ongoing, resulting in significant farmland inundation and affecting several roads between Rosman and Horse Shoe. Parts of Lyons Mountain Rd, Hannah Ford Rd, Green Rd, Island Ford Rd, Barclay Rd, Wilson Rd, Poplar Ln, River Rd, Pleasant Grove Rd, Butler Bridge Rd, and Big Willow Rd are likely inundated by at least 1-3 feet of floodwaters. Impacts continued in 19.01 statement...
18.00 ft
Minor Flooding continues. Widespread farmland flooding between the French Broad River and the old railroad bed is ongoing. The river may be overtopping the old railroad bed near Fodderstack Mountain Rd. and River Ridge Rd. The intersection of River Rd. and Big Willow Rd. is inundated with several inches of water.
17.00 ft
Minor Flooding continues. Floodwaters continue to inundate farmland between the French Broad River and the old railroad bed. Floodwaters may start to inundate the shoulders of River Road near the Big Willow Road intersection. Floodwaters continue to impact boat access areas at Grove Bridge Rd. and Crab Creek Rd.
16.00 ft
Minor Flood Stage. Farmland flooding continues on both sides of the French Broad River. Floodwaters begin to impact boat access areas at Grove Bridge Rd. and Crab Creek Rd.
15.00 ft
Action Stage. Most farm fields are flooding between the French Broad River and Brevard Rd. and between the French Broad River and Pleasant Grove Rd.
5.62 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 10 %.

RankLevelDate
128.43 ftSeptember 28, 2024
227.10 ftJuly 16, 1916
325.81 ftSeptember 9, 2004
425.50 ftOctober 4, 1964
523.81 ftAugust 18, 1994
623.00 ftAugust 13, 1994
722.90 ftAugust 16, 1928
822.61 ftJanuary 8, 1998
922.01 ftMarch 5, 1979
1022.00 ftJanuary 23, 1906

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 65%

Map

Other gauges on the French Broad River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
French Broad River at RosmanRiver gauge, French Broad River 2.08 ft Normal −0.01 ft 16 mi
French Broad River near FletcherRiver gauge, French Broad River 4.30 ft Normal −0.08 ft 10 mi
French Broad River at AshevilleRiver gauge, French Broad River 1.25 ft Low −0.05 ft 22 mi
French Broad River at MarshallRiver gauge, French Broad River 1.44 ft Normal −0.05 ft 34 mi
French Broad River at Hot SpringsRiver gauge, French Broad River 2.73 ft Normal −0.03 ft 42 mi
French Broad River near NewportRiver gauge, French Broad River 2.36 ft Below flood stage −0.06 ft 56 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Davidson River near BrevardRiver gauge, Davidson River 0.72 ft Normal −0.02 ft 5.0 mi
Mills River near Mills RiverRiver gauge, Mills River 1.84 ft Normal ±0 7 mi
Mud Creek at Secondary Road 1503 near BalfourRiver gauge, Mud Creek 5.73 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 9 mi
Middle Saluda River near ClevelandRiver gauge, Middle Saluda River 1.53 ft Very low −0.10 ft 13 mi
Big Falls Creek near TigervilleRiver gauge, Big Falls Creek 0.95 ft Normal −0.02 ft 15 mi
North Saluda Reservoir near TigervilleReservoir, North Saluda Reservoir 17.06 ft Very low −0.06 ft 16 mi
South Saluda River near ClevelandRiver gauge, South Saluda River 2.02 ft Normal +0.01 ft 16 mi
Table Rock Reservoir near ClevelandReservoir, Table Rock Reservoir 42.11 ft Normal −0.05 ft 16 mi

Questions and answers

Is the French Broad River at Blantyre higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.29 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.33 ft.

What is flood stage for the French Broad River at Blantyre?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 10.38 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the French Broad River at Blantyre in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.14 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.17 ft and 8.19 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 French Broad River at Blantyre today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT, the water level was 5.62 ft. Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is French Broad River at Blantyre rising or falling?

Down 0.11 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 2.77 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of French Broad River at Blantyre normal?

Normal for mid-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:03443000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.29917, -82.62389 (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 5.62 ft 2026-10-20 03:30 Provisional
Flow 440 cfs 2026-10-20 03:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: French Broad River at Blantyre (usgs:03443000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/french-broad-river-at-blantyre

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