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McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde Providence water level

River gauge, McAlpine Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for late October

Water level

1.54ft Steady over the last 24 hours

0 10 20 Highest onrecord 19.98 ft Minor floodstage 17.00 ft

History

History
1.52.02.5ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 211.52.02.5ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
246ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 14Oct 21246ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
246ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026246ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
246ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026246ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde Providence reads 1.54 ft, a normal level for late October.

The median for late October is 1.71 ft, based on 18 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.17 ft below typical. It is 15.46 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.73 ft, a difference of −0.19 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.46 ft and 3.72 ft.

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

Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.71 ft0.17 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.33 ft – 2.58 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year
1.73 ft−0.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.46 ft – 3.72 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.43 ft – 5.40 ft
Highest on record
19.98 ftSeptember 16, 2018

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 17.00 ft, still 15.46 ft away.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft
FLOOD STAGE... HOMES WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
16.50 ft
HOMES ON WEIRTON PLACE NEAR THE GAGE SITE ON COLONY ROAD WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
14.00 ft
THIS IS BANKFULL STAGE.
3.00 ft
2.5 TO 3.5 INCHES IN 3 HRS ACRS THE HEADWATERS RESULTED IN A RISE FROM 2 FT TO THE BANKFULL LEVEL OF 14 FT (FS 17 FT).
1.54 ft
Right now
1.40 ft
BASIN AVG 1.4 IN 6 HOURS TOOK CREEK UP 7 FT.. (1.5 TO 8.5)
1.00 ft
0.75 TO 1 IN 2 HR TOOK CREEK UP ARD 5 FT WHEN GRD IS WET.

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
119.98 ftSeptember 16, 2018
218.49 ftAugust 27, 2008
317.18 ftJanuary 25, 2010
416.73 ftJuly 12, 2010
515.13 ftDecember 22, 2015
614.88 ftMay 6, 2008
714.61 ftJune 8, 2013
814.49 ftAugust 5, 2011
914.22 ftMarch 7, 2014
1014.22 ftJanuary 23, 2017

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.17 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 75° 40° – Wind 11 mph
21 Wed 72° 48° – Wind 9 mph
22 Thu 75° 45° – Wind 8 mph
23 Fri 71° 50° – Wind 8 mph
24 Sat 67° 49° – Wind 10 mph
25 Sun 69° 49° – Wind 9 mph
26 Mon 72° 49° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on McAlpine Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
McAlpine Creek at Sr3150 near IdlewildRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek 1.87 ft High ±0 6 mi
McAlpine Creek at Sardis Road near CharlotteRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek 0.45 ft Very low −0.03 ft 2.6 mi
McAlpine Creek below McMullen Creek near PinevilleRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek 1.09 ft Low −0.03 ft 5.1 mi
McAlpine Creek at Sr2964 near Camp CoxRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek −0.29 ft Very low −0.02 ft 7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
McMullen Creek at Sharon View Road near CharlotteRiver gauge, McMullen Creek 0.77 ft Low −0.01 ft 1.7 mi
Four Mile Creek near PinevilleRiver gauge, Four Mile Creek 3.33 ft Low +0.02 ft 3.0 mi
Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek 2.06 ft Very low −0.13 ft 3.5 mi
McMullen Creek above Lincrest Place at CharlotteRiver gauge, McMullen Creek 1.06 ft Normal −0.01 ft 3.8 mi
Little Hope Creek at Seneca Place at CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Hope Creek 3.05 ft Low +0.02 ft 4.1 mi
Briar Creek above Colony Road at CharlotteRiver gauge, Briar Creek 2.12 ft Normal ±0 4.2 mi
Briar Creek at Providence Road at CharlotteRiver gauge, Briar Creek 1.17 ft Normal ±0 4.5 mi
Little Sugar Creek at Hillside Ave, CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek 0.87 ft Low ±0 4.8 mi

Questions and answers

Is McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde Providence higher than last year?

No, it is 0.19 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.73 ft.

What is flood stage for McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde Providence?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 15.46 ft below it.

What is a normal level for McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde Providence in late October?

The median for late October is 1.71 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.33 ft and 2.58 ft, based on 18 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 McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde Providence today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:15 AM EDT, the water level was 1.54 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde Providence rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde Providence normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 18 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:02146614 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.11833, -80.80667 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 1.54 ft 2026-10-21 08:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde Providence (usgs:02146614). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/mcalpine-creek-at-colony-road-near-olde-providence

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.