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Little River near Princeton water level

River gauge, Little River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.37ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
4.9 cfs
0 5 10 15 Highest onrecord 14.72 ft Minor floodstage 12.00 ft

History

-024ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 20-024ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
-0510ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 13Oct 20Minor flood stage-0510ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20Minor flood stage
-0510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-0510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-0510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The Little River near Princeton is running far below normal at 0.37 ft.

That puts it 0.77 ft below the median of 1.14 ft for mid-October, based on 32 years of readings. It is 11.63 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.20 ft (−0.83 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 0.35 ft and 2.66 ft.

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

Compared with 32 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.14 ft0.77 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.58 ft – 3.75 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (32 years of records)
Same day last year
1.20 ft−0.83 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.35 ft – 2.66 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.12 ft – 5.73 ft
Highest on record
14.72 ftOctober 10, 2016

Floating and fishing near Little River near Princeton

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 11.63 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft
FLOODING THREATENS RAINS CROSSROADS ROAD BRIDGE UPSTREAM OF THE GAGE SITE.
14.00 ft
EXTENSIVE FLOODING OF PASTURE LAND.
12.00 ft
WATER FLOODS DIRT ROADS ADJACENT TO GAGE SITE.
6.00 ft
WATER REACHES THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL HOUSE.
0.37 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
114.72 ftOctober 10, 2016
213.94 ftOctober 6, 1964
313.50 ftOctober 25, 1960
412.80 ftJanuary 24, 1954
512.70 ftDecember 2, 1934
612.40 ftMarch 6, 1952
712.34 ftSeptember 18, 2018
812.20 ftAugust 29, 1958

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min Waxing gibbous 71%

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 0.10 ft Very low +0.01 ft 61 mi
Little River below Little R Tributary at FairntoshRiver gauge, Little River 2.61 ft Very high +0.09 ft 57 mi
Little River near ZebulonRiver gauge, Little River 1.58 ft Normal +0.01 ft 24 mi
Little River near Mount PleasantRiver gauge, Little River 2.96 ft Low −0.14 ft 62 mi
Little River at ManchesterRiver gauge, Little River 6.19 ft Normal −0.16 ft 51 mi
Little River near StarRiver gauge, Little River 1.07 ft Very low ±0 94 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Neuse River at SmithfieldRiver gauge, Neuse River 4.72 ft Normal −0.20 ft 11 mi
Contentnea Creek near LucamaRiver gauge, Contentnea Creek 2.13 ft Normal +0.01 ft 13 mi
Neuse River near GoldsboroRiver gauge, Neuse River 2.95 ft Low +0.32 ft 15 mi
Neuse River near ClaytonRiver gauge, Neuse River 1.38 ft Low −0.08 ft 17 mi
Contentnea Creek near Black CreekRiver gauge, Contentnea Creek 6.73 ft Normal −0.06 ft 18 mi
Swift Creek at Sr1555 near ClaytonRiver gauge, Swift Creek 1.09 ft Very low −0.05 ft 20 mi
Nahunta Swamp near ShineRiver gauge, Nahunta Swamp 2.20 ft Normal −0.08 ft 20 mi
Middle Creek near ClaytonRiver gauge, Middle Creek 1.45 ft Very low −0.15 ft 25 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Little River near Princeton compare with last year?

It is 0.83 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.20 ft.

What is flood stage for the Little River near Princeton?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 11.63 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Little River near Princeton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.14 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.58 ft and 3.75 ft, based on 32 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 near Princeton today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:30 PM EDT, the water level was 0.37 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little River near Princeton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little River near Princeton normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 32 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:02088500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.51139, -78.16028 (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 0.37 ft 2026-10-20 19:30 Provisional
Flow 4.9 cfs 2026-10-20 19:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little River near Princeton (usgs:02088500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/little-river-near-princeton

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