Mallard Creek below Stony Creek near Harrisburg water level

Name: Mallard Creek below Stony Creek near Harrisburg 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, Mallard Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for late October

Water level

2.57ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:55 AM EDT (14 min ago)

Flow: 5.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 2.57 ft, Mallard Creek below Stony Creek near Harrisburg is far below normal for late October.

The median for late October is 2.82 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.25 ft below typical. It is 10.43 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.74 ft, a difference of −0.17 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

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

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.82 ft0.25 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.66 ft – 3.33 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.74 ft−0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.49 ft – 4.75 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.46 ft – 5.47 ft
Highest on record: 19.99 ftNovember 12, 2020

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 13.00 ft, still 10.43 ft away.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: Major Flood Stage.
21.00 ft: Moderate Flooding continues. Pavilion Road may begin to flood. This stage has a 0.2% chance of occurrence in any given year.
19.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Homes may begin to flood along Dashiel and Circle Drives, downstream of streamgauge. This stage has a 2% chance of occurrence in any given year.If MCLN7 crests at this height, IBFN7 may crest near 30 feet.
18.00 ft: Minor Flooding continues. Mallard Church Road and North Tryon Street (U.S. Route 29) may flood.
17.00 ft: Minor Flooding continues. Mallard Creek may reach the bottom of the Pavilion Drive bridge. Backyards of homes along Dashiel and Circle Drives, downstream of streamgauge, may flood. This stage has a 10% chance of occurrence in any given year.
15.50 ft: Minor Flooding continues.If MCLN7 crests at this height, IBFN7 may crest between 21.0 and 24.5 feet.
13.50 ft: Minor Flooding continues. Low-lying areas and the Mallard Creek Greenway near North Tryon Street (U.S. Route 29) and East Mallard Creek Church Road, upstream of the streamgauge, may flood.If MCLN7 crests at this height, IBFN7 may have an average crest between 16.5 and 18.5 feet approximately 8 hours later.
13.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Mallard Creek may be flooding the PNC Music Pavilion parking lots nearest to the streamgauge, low-lying areas along Pavilion Blvd, and portions of the Mallard Creek Greenway.If MCLN7 crests at this height, IBFN7 may have an average crest between 16.0 and 16.5 feet.
12.00 ft: Action Stage Continues. River will start to flood the PNC Music Pavilion parking lots and other low-lying areas along Pavilion Boulevard.If MCLN7 crests at this height, IBFN7 may have an average crest between 13.0 and 13.5 feet, approximately 6 to 8 hours later.
11.00 ft: Action Stage.If MCLN7 crests at this height, IBFN may have an average crest of 11.5 feet.
2.57 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.99 ft	November 12, 2020
2	19.69 ft	August 27, 2008
3	17.34 ft	August 27, 1995
4	16.76 ft	September 28, 2004
5	16.45 ft	July 23, 1997
6	16.35 ft	January 25, 2010
7	16.29 ft	June 29, 2013
8	15.63 ft	February 6, 2020
9	15.48 ft	March 20, 2003
10	15.44 ft	March 2, 2007

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Back Creek at Sr1173 near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Back Creek	2.29 ft	Normal	±0	2.9 mi
Reedy Creek at SR 2803 near CharlotteRiver gauge, Reedy Creek	1.44 ft	Normal	±0	5.3 mi
Reedy Creek below I-485 near Pine RidgeRiver gauge, Reedy Creek	1.63 ft	Normal	±0	5.9 mi
Clarke Creek near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Clarke Creek	3.86 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	6.0 mi
McKee Creek at Sr2804 near WilgroveRiver gauge, McKee Creek	1.78 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Briar Creek near CharlotteRiver gauge, Briar Creek	1.34 ft	Normal	±0	7 mi
Little Sugar Creek below 36th Street near CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek	0.28 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	8 mi
Irwin Creek at Statesville Ave at CharlotteRiver gauge, Irwin Creek	1.73 ft	Very low	±0	8 mi

Questions and answers

Is Mallard Creek below Stony Creek near Harrisburg higher than last year?

No, it is 0.17 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.74 ft.

What is flood stage for Mallard Creek below Stony Creek near Harrisburg?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 10.43 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Mallard Creek below Stony Creek near Harrisburg in late October?

The median for late October is 2.82 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.66 ft and 3.33 ft, based on 31 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 Mallard Creek below Stony Creek near Harrisburg today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:55 AM EDT, the water level was 2.57 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Mallard Creek below Stony Creek near Harrisburg rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.13 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Mallard Creek below Stony Creek near Harrisburg normal?

Very low for late October. Compared with 31 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:0212414900 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.33278, -80.71583 (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	2.57 ft	2026-10-21 05:55	Provisional
Flow	5.0 cfs	2026-10-21 05:55	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mallard Creek below Stony Creek near Harrisburg (usgs:0212414900). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/mallard-creek-below-stony-creek-near-harrisburg

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