Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at Charlotte water level

Name: Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at Charlotte 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 Sugar Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for late October

Water level

1.98ft Down 0.19 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 8.7 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at Charlotte: the gauge reads 1.98 ft, far below normal for late October.

That puts it 0.38 ft below the median of 2.36 ft for late October, based on 30 years of readings. It is 10.02 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.34 ft (−0.36 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.19 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.98 ft – 3.53 ft.

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

Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.36 ft0.38 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.27 ft – 2.70 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (30 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.34 ft−0.36 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.98 ft – 3.53 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.26 ft – 4.74 ft
Highest on record: 15.06 ftJuly 23, 1997

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft: WATER WILL BE IN SOME BUILDINGS
14.00 ft: SOME BUILDINGS WILL BE SURROUNDED BY WATER
12.00 ft: SOME HOMES WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
10.00 ft: AT THIS STAGE HOMES DOWNSTREAM OF GAGE MAY BEGIN TO FLOOD DUE TO BACKWATER EFFECTS.
1.98 ft: Right now
1.90 ft: 1.9 INCH IN 3 HOUR CAUSED THE CREEK TO RISE TO 9.2 FT.
0.75 ft: 0.75 IN 2 HOURS CAUSED A 3 FT RISE

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.06 ft	July 23, 1997
2	14.99 ft	August 27, 2008
3	14.79 ft	June 7, 2003
4	13.78 ft	May 5, 2009
5	13.68 ft	January 25, 2010
6	13.60 ft	August 15, 2006
7	13.14 ft	August 27, 1995
8	12.70 ft	September 22, 1975
9	12.61 ft	June 7, 1985
10	12.44 ft	March 23, 1979

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 71° 45° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 72° 44° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 71° 52° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 68° 50° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 69° 49° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 71° 50° – Wind 6 mph

27 Tue 72° 52° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on Little Sugar Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek	0.27 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	8 mi
Little Sugar Creek at Hillside Ave, CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek	0.88 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	2.2 mi
Little Sugar Creek at PinevilleRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek	1.63 ft	Normal	+0.06 ft	4.6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Hope Creek at Seneca Place at CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Hope Creek	3.06 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	1.2 mi
McMullen Creek at Sharon View Road near CharlotteRiver gauge, McMullen Creek	0.79 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	2.2 mi
Briar Creek above Colony Road at CharlotteRiver gauge, Briar Creek	2.12 ft	Normal	±0	2.4 mi
Sugar Creek at Arrowood Road near CharlotteRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	0.14 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	3.1 mi
Briar Creek at Providence Road at CharlotteRiver gauge, Briar Creek	1.18 ft	Normal	±0	3.2 mi
McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde ProvidenceRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek	1.54 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	3.5 mi
Coffey Creek near CharlotteRiver gauge, Coffey Creek	2.17 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	3.9 mi
Ltl Sugar Creek at Medical Center Drain at CharlotteRiver gauge, Ltl Sugar Creek	1.89 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	4.0 mi

Questions and answers

How does Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at Charlotte compare with last year?

It is 0.36 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.34 ft.

What is flood stage for Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at Charlotte?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.02 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at Charlotte in late October?

The median for late October is 2.36 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.27 ft and 2.70 ft, based on 30 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 Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at Charlotte today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT, the water level was 1.98 ft. Down 0.19 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at Charlotte rising or falling?

Down 0.19 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.36 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at Charlotte normal?

Very low for late October. Compared with 30 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:02146507 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.14806, -80.85778 (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	1.98 ft	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional
Flow	8.7 cfs	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at Charlotte (usgs:02146507). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/little-sugar-creek-at-archdale-drain-at-charlotte

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