Little Sugar Creek at Pineville water level

Name: Little Sugar Creek at Pineville 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

Normal for late October

Water level

1.65ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:00 AM EDT (19 min ago)

Flow: 34.2 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Little Sugar Creek at Pineville, where the gauge shows 1.65 ft.

That puts it 0.01 ft below the median of 1.66 ft for late October, based on 29 years of readings. It is 16.35 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.77 ft (−0.12 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.46 ft – 3.53 ft.

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

Compared with 29 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.66 ft0.01 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.53 ft – 2.09 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (29 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.77 ft−0.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.46 ft – 3.53 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.55 ft – 4.98 ft
Highest on record: 23.04 ftJuly 23, 1997

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 18.00 ft.

What happens at each level

28.00 ft: FURTHER FLOODING OF BUSINESSES AND ROADS WILL BE FLOODED.
23.00 ft: ROADS ALONG THE RIVER LIKE LEITNER DRIVE AND BUSINESSES WILL FLOOD.
18.00 ft: AT THIS STAGE HIGHWAY NC 51/MAIN STREET AND PARKING LOTS ALONG WITH STORES AND HOMES NEAR THE CREEK WILL FLOOD.
16.00 ft: AT THIS STAGE PARKING LOTS OF NEARBY BUILDINGS WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
1.65 ft: Right now
1.20 ft: 1 TO 2 INCH IN 1 HR UPSTREAM FROM THIS GAGE WILL CAUSE A 11.5 FT RISE HERE.

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	23.04 ft	July 23, 1997
2	18.74 ft	June 8, 2003
3	18.13 ft	January 25, 2010
4	17.47 ft	July 27, 1998
5	16.16 ft	March 2, 2007
6	16.09 ft	August 16, 2006
7	15.90 ft	January 23, 1999
8	14.56 ft	November 22, 2006
9	14.47 ft	September 8, 2004
10	13.47 ft	October 11, 1999

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 74%

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	0.28 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	12 mi
Little Sugar Creek at Hillside Ave, CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek	0.88 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek	2.36 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	4.6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sugar Creek at NC 51 near PinevilleRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	0.81 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	1.0 mi
McAlpine Creek below McMullen Creek near PinevilleRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek	1.10 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	1.5 mi
McAlpine Creek at Sr2964 near Camp CoxRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek	−0.34 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	3.1 mi
Four Mile Creek near PinevilleRiver gauge, Four Mile Creek	3.34 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	3.4 mi
Sugar Creek at Arrowood Road near CharlotteRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	0.16 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	4.1 mi
Steele Creek at Sr1441 near PinevilleRiver gauge, Steele Creek	0.96 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	4.3 mi
McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde ProvidenceRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek	1.55 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	4.8 mi
Coffey Creek near CharlotteRiver gauge, Coffey Creek	2.18 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	4.9 mi

Questions and answers

How does Little Sugar Creek at Pineville compare with last year?

It is 0.12 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.77 ft.

What is flood stage for Little Sugar Creek at Pineville?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 16.35 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Little Sugar Creek at Pineville in late October?

The median for late October is 1.66 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.53 ft and 2.09 ft, based on 29 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 Pineville today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:00 AM EDT, the water level was 1.65 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Sugar Creek at Pineville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Sugar Creek at Pineville normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 29 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:02146530 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.08528, -80.88222 (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	1.65 ft	2026-10-21 04:00	Provisional
Flow	34.2 cfs	2026-10-21 04:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Sugar Creek at Pineville (usgs:02146530). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/little-sugar-creek-at-pineville

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