Long Creek near Paw Creek water level

Name: Long Creek near Paw Creek 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, Long Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.45ft Up 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT (8 min ago)

Flow: 14.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Long Creek near Paw Creek reads 1.45 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.28 ft, based on 25 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.17 ft above typical. It is 11.05 ft below the flood stage of 12.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.36 ft, a difference of +0.09 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.15 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 11.05 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.98 ft and 2.54 ft.

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

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.28 ft0.17 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.01 ft – 1.62 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.36 ft+0.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.98 ft – 2.54 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.75 ft – 2.54 ft
Highest on record: 13.45 ftJuly 23, 1997

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 12.50 ft, still 11.05 ft away.

What happens at each level

13.50 ft: AT THIS STAGE THE OAKDALE RD BRIDGE WILL BE FLOODED.
12.50 ft: AT THIS STAGE APPROACHS TO OAKDALE ROAD AND PARTS OF I 485 WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
11.45 ft: HEAVY RAIN 2.5 TO 4 INCHES IN HEADWATERS MADE THE RIVER RISE TO 11.45 FT. ROADS IN THE HEADWATER AREAS WILL LIKELY BE FLOODED. THERE WAS A 5 HR DELAY FROM THE TIME THE HEAVY RAIN FELL IN THE EXTREME HEADWATERS AREA TO THE CREST.
10.00 ft: AT THIS LEVEL...LONG CREEK IS STILL BELOW BANKFULL...BUT IT IS LIKELY THAT SOME STREETS IN THE VICINITY BEGIN TO FLOOD IN LOW LYING AREAS DUE TO DRAINAGE ISSUES.
4.00 ft: 4-5 INCH RAIN IN 3 HRS RESULTED IN A RISE FROM 1 FT TO THE FS 12.5 FT.
2.60 ft: 2.6 IN 6 HOURS CAUSED A 9 FT RISE.
2.25 ft: BASINWIDE 2.25 INCH RAINFALL RESULTING IN RISE FROM 1.5 FT TO 8 FT.
2.06 ft: 2.06 IN 1 HOUR WILL TAKE CREEK TO 9.0 FT
1.85 ft: 1.85 IN ONE HOUR DID NOT CAUSE FLOODING IN THIS AREA.
1.45 ft: Right now
1.40 ft: 1.4 IN 12 HR CAUSED THE CREEK TO RISE TO 7.5 FT SSHP DID A GOOD JOB THRESHHOLD RUNOFF VALUE SHOULD BE 1.3 OR LOWER.

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.45 ft	July 23, 1997
2	13.11 ft	August 27, 2008
3	12.75 ft	August 5, 2011
4	11.97 ft	May 22, 2003
5	11.57 ft	August 19, 2010
6	11.45 ft	July 9, 2007
7	11.35 ft	August 27, 1995
8	11.30 ft	September 28, 2004
9	11.10 ft	April 20, 2015
10	10.60 ft	March 29, 2001

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Other gauges on Long Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Long Creek near RhyneRiver gauge, Long Creek	2.17 ft	Very high	+0.03 ft	4.0 mi
Long Creek near Bessemer CityRiver gauge, Long Creek	0.92 ft	Low	±0	18 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Gar Creek at Sr2074 near CroftRiver gauge, Gar Creek	1.01 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	2.4 mi
Gum Branch near ThriftRiver gauge, Gum Branch	1.69 ft	High	±0	2.9 mi
McDowell Creek near Charlotte, Nc Csw10River gauge, McDowell Creek	3.89 ft	High	+0.09 ft	4.3 mi
Catawba River Dnstrm Deck Mountain Is Dam near MountainRiver gauge, Catawba River Dnstrm Deck Mountain Is Dam	8.14 ft	Normal	−0.64 ft	4.3 mi
McDowell Creek Tributary at Sr2131 near Hicks CrossroadsRiver gauge, McDowell Creek Tributary	1.21 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	5.1 mi
Torrence Creek at Bradford Hill Ln near HuntersvlleRiver gauge, Torrence Creek	1.20 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	5.4 mi
McDowell Creek near HuntersvilleRiver gauge, McDowell Creek	1.67 ft	High	+0.14 ft	5.5 mi
Irwin Creek at Statesville Ave at CharlotteRiver gauge, Irwin Creek	1.73 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	6.2 mi

Questions and answers

Is Long Creek near Paw Creek higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.09 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.36 ft.

What is flood stage for Long Creek near Paw Creek?

The official flood stage is 12.50 ft. The level is currently 11.05 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Long Creek near Paw Creek in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.28 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.01 ft and 1.62 ft, based on 25 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 Long Creek near Paw Creek today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT, the water level was 1.45 ft. Up 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Long Creek near Paw Creek rising or falling?

Up 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.11 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Long Creek near Paw Creek normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 25 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:02142900 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.32861, -80.90972 (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	1.45 ft	2026-10-21 03:00	Provisional
Flow	14.0 cfs	2026-10-21 03:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Long Creek near Paw Creek (usgs:02142900). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/long-creek-near-paw-creek

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