Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near Charlotte water level

Name: Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near 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

0.27ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:20 AM EDT (16 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near Charlotte is running far below normal at 0.27 ft.

The median for late October is 0.62 ft, based on 21 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.35 ft below typical. It is 10.73 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.38 ft, a difference of −0.11 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 0.27 ft and 1.27 ft.

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

Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.62 ft0.35 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.32 ft – 1.24 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.38 ft−0.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.27 ft – 1.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.25 ft – 1.81 ft
Highest on record: 15.14 ftSeptember 10, 2008

Floating and fishing near Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near Charlotte

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

Flood stage here is 11.00 ft, 10.73 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: Major Flood Stage.
16.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage.
11.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Shallow inundation of Cullman Avenue and a couple of adjacent businesses may be imminent. At this stage, the intersection of North Tryon Street (US 29) and Atando Avenue may be inundated due to flooding of Derita Creek and an adjacent tributary.
9.00 ft: Action Stage. Between Action Stage and Minor Flood Stage, Little Sugar Creek is overtopping its banks and water is approaching, but not flooding, nearby roads and intersections.
0.27 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.14 ft	September 10, 2008
2	14.96 ft	August 5, 2011
3	12.48 ft	September 26, 2016
4	12.40 ft	August 27, 2008
5	12.04 ft	August 23, 2019
6	11.50 ft	April 30, 2020
7	11.16 ft	June 1, 2010
8	10.92 ft	August 19, 2010
9	10.49 ft	August 16, 2009
10	10.47 ft	June 5, 2009

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 76%

Map

Other gauges on Little Sugar Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Sugar Creek at Hillside Ave, CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek	0.87 ft	Low	±0	5.4 mi
Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek	1.99 ft	Very low	−0.18 ft	8 mi
Little Sugar Creek at PinevilleRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek	1.64 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Irwin Creek at Statesville Ave at CharlotteRiver gauge, Irwin Creek	1.73 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	1.8 mi
Briar Creek near CharlotteRiver gauge, Briar Creek	1.34 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	2.3 mi
Briar Creek at Independence Blvd at CharlotteRiver gauge, Briar Creek	0.72 ft	Normal	±0	2.8 mi
Briar Creek below Edwards Branch near CharlotteRiver gauge, Briar Creek	0.96 ft	High	−0.02 ft	3.1 mi
Stewart Creek at State St at CharlotteRiver gauge, Stewart Creek	0.93 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	3.5 mi
Ltl Sugar Creek at Medical Center Drain at CharlotteRiver gauge, Ltl Sugar Creek	1.89 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	3.6 mi
Stewart Creek at West Morehead St at CharlotteRiver gauge, Stewart Creek	1.05 ft	Very low	+0.78 ft	3.8 mi
Edwards Branch at Sheffield Drain at CharlotteRiver gauge, Edwards Branch	0.69 ft	Low	±0	3.8 mi

Questions and answers

Is Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near Charlotte higher than last year?

No, it is 0.11 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.38 ft.

What is flood stage for Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near Charlotte?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 10.73 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near Charlotte in late October?

The median for late October is 0.62 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.32 ft and 1.24 ft, based on 21 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 below 36th Street near Charlotte today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:20 AM EDT, the water level was 0.27 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near Charlotte rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near Charlotte normal?

Very low for late October. Compared with 21 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:0214640410 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.25028, -80.80833 (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	0.27 ft	2026-10-21 09:20	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near Charlotte (usgs:0214640410). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/little-sugar-creek-below-36th-street-near-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