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Jacob Fork at Ramsey water level

River gauge, Jacob Fork, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.80ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
18.4 cfs
0 10 20 Minor floodstage 20.00 ft Highest onrecord 19.74 ft

History

History
1.52.02.5ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 191.52.02.5ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
246ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19246ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
246ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026246ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
246ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026246ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Jacob Fork at Ramsey is at 1.80 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.73 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.07 ft above typical. It is 18.20 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.78 ft, a difference of +0.02 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.71 ft and 7.00 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.73 ft0.07 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.47 ft – 2.09 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year
1.78 ft+0.02 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.71 ft – 7.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.49 ft – 7.00 ft
Highest on record
19.74 ftOctober 17, 1975

Floating and fishing near Jacob Fork at Ramsey

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 20.00 ft, 18.20 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft
SOME HOMES NEAR SECONDARY ROAD 1924 AND THE RIVER WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
18.93 ft
FLOODING WILL BE SIMILAR TO THATT WHICH OCCURRED IN SEPT 2004 WITH HURRICANE FRANCES
6.50 ft
AT THIS STAGE JACOB FORK RIVER AT RHONEY ROAD WILL BE AT BANKFULL.
4.50 ft
4.5 INCH IN 24 HOURS CAUSED A 9 FT RISE ON RIVER.
2.00 ft
2.0 INCHES IN 2 HOURS DID CAUSE FLOODING WHEN GROUND WAS ALREADY WET FROM PREVIOUS DAYS. GENERAL RAIN OF 2 INCHES CAUSED THE RIVER TO RISE 6 FT.
1.80 ft
Right now
1.75 ft
1.75 IN 1.5 HRS IN HEADWATERS CAUSED A 2 FT RISE HERE.
1.00 ft
GENERAL RAIN OF 1 IN 1 TO 2 HOUR CAUSED RIVER TO RISE FROM 1.6 FT TO 3 FT

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
119.74 ftOctober 17, 1975
218.93 ftSeptember 8, 2004
317.80 ftNovember 6, 1977
417.30 ftOctober 12, 1990
516.92 ftAugust 9, 1970
614.57 ftOctober 8, 1961
714.34 ftFebruary 13, 1966
814.26 ftAugust 17, 1994
914.15 ftOctober 16, 1964
1013.60 ftApril 10, 1983

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min First quarter 62%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
First Broad River near CasarRiver gauge, First Broad River 0.60 ft Normal −0.01 ft 9 mi
Henry Fork near Henry RiverRiver gauge, Henry Fork 1.33 ft Normal −0.03 ft 11 mi
First Broad River at LawndaleRiver gauge, First Broad River 1.03 ft Normal −0.13 ft 12 mi
Catawba River at RhodhissRiver gauge, Catawba River 11.15 ft Normal +0.04 ft 15 mi
Catawba River at Sr1223 below Lake James near BridgewaterRiver gauge, Catawba River 1.60 ft Low −4.16 ft 18 mi
Johns River at Arneys StoreRiver gauge, Johns River 2.44 ft Normal −0.05 ft 19 mi
Indian Creek near LaboratoryRiver gauge, Indian Creek 0.88 ft Normal +0.03 ft 21 mi
Upper Little River at Sr1740 at Petra MillsRiver gauge, Upper Little River 36.8 cfs Normal −2.0 cfs 21 mi

Questions and answers

Is Jacob Fork at Ramsey higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.02 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.78 ft.

What is flood stage for Jacob Fork at Ramsey?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 18.20 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Jacob Fork at Ramsey in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.73 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.47 ft and 2.09 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 Jacob Fork at Ramsey today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:30 PM EDT, the water level was 1.80 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Jacob Fork at Ramsey rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 1.23 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Jacob Fork at Ramsey 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:02143040 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.59056, -81.56694 (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 1.80 ft 2026-10-19 20:30 Provisional
Flow 18.4 cfs 2026-10-19 20:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Jacob Fork at Ramsey (usgs:02143040). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/jacob-fork-at-ramsey

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.