Little River at Manchester water level

Name: Little River at Manchester 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, Little River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

6.12ft Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT (43 min ago)

Flow: 65.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.90 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 02:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:40 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Little River at Manchester is at 6.12 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 6.49 ft, based on 22 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.37 ft below typical. It is 11.88 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 6.36 ft, a difference of −0.24 ft.

It has dropped 0.16 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 5.90 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 5.73 ft and 6.71 ft.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 6.49 ft0.37 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.74 ft – 9.39 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (22 years of records)
Same day last year: 6.36 ft−0.24 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.73 ft – 6.71 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.25 ft – 10.13 ft
Highest on record: 38.30 ftSeptember 18, 2018
Forecast peak: 6.10 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Little River at Manchester

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

Flood stage here is 18.00 ft, 11.88 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

37.00 ft: Flooding reaches the road level of the Bragg Blvd (Hwy 24/87) bridge over the Little River. Local businesses will be flooded.
30.00 ft: Water reaches the base of the Bragg Blvd (Hwy 24/87) bridge across the Little River.
28.00 ft: Flooding reaches the road surface of the Manchester Road bridge.
27.00 ft: The Starlite motel is flooded and Manchester Road is closed.
25.00 ft: Water reaches the base of the Manchester Road bridge and the foundation of the Starlite motel at the intersection of Manchester Road and Bragg Blvd (Hwy 24/87).
24.00 ft: Manchester Road is flooded.
23.00 ft: Minor flooding begins on Manchester Road near the Fort Bragg water treatment plant.
18.00 ft: Minor flooding begins in Fort Bragg near the water treatment plant.
6.12 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: 7 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	38.30 ft	September 18, 2018
2	32.19 ft	October 10, 2016
3	31.36 ft	October 9, 2016
4	31.20 ft	September 29, 2016
5	29.00 ft	September 19, 1945
6	27.71 ft	August 10, 2024
7	24.79 ft	November 15, 2018
8	24.72 ft	August 11, 2003
9	21.86 ft	January 31, 2020
10	20.61 ft	February 21, 2021

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Little River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little River at Sr1461 near Orange FactoryRiver gauge, Little River	0.09 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	66 mi
Little River below Little R Tributary at FairntoshRiver gauge, Little River	2.68 ft	Very high	+0.10 ft	64 mi
Little River near ZebulonRiver gauge, Little River	1.58 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	56 mi
Little River near PrincetonRiver gauge, Little River	0.35 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	51 mi
Little River near Mount PleasantRiver gauge, Little River	2.94 ft	Low	−0.10 ft	11 mi
Little River near StarRiver gauge, Little River	1.08 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	50 mi
Little River at Clark Bridge Road near WinnsboroRiver gauge, Little River	26.79 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	140 mi
Little River at GraysontownRiver gauge, Little River	1.14 ft	Below flood stage	±0	155 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tank Creek at Reilly Road at Fort BraggRiver gauge, Tank Creek	2.69 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	1.3 mi
Tank Creek at Butner Road at Fort BraggRiver gauge, Tank Creek	0.60 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	2.9 mi
Tank Creek at Longstreet Road at Fort BraggRiver gauge, Tank Creek	1.49 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	3.8 mi
Beaver Creek at Gruber Road at Fort BraggRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	6.85 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	4.6 mi
Beaver Creek at All American Freeway Fort BraggRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	2.62 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	5.6 mi
Cross Creek at Blue Street at FayettevilleRiver gauge, Cross Creek	3.85 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	10 mi
Flat Creek near InvernessRiver gauge, Flat Creek	0.63 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Blounts Creek at Winslow Street at FayettevilleRiver gauge, Blounts Creek	3.61 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	12 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Little River at Manchester higher than last year?

No, it is 0.24 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.36 ft.

What is flood stage for the Little River at Manchester?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 11.88 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Little River at Manchester in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.49 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.74 ft and 9.39 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 Little River at Manchester today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT, the water level was 6.12 ft. Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Little River at Manchester rising or falling?

Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little River at Manchester normal?

Normal for mid-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:02103000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.19333, -78.98556 (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	6.12 ft	2026-10-21 03:30	Provisional
Flow	65.4 cfs	2026-10-21 03:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little River at Manchester (usgs:02103000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/little-river-at-manchester

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