McAlpine Creek at Sardis Road near Charlotte water level

Name: McAlpine Creek at Sardis Road 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, McAlpine Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for late October

Water level

0.45ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT (26 min ago)

Flow: 1.8 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

McAlpine Creek at Sardis Road near Charlotte is running far below normal at 0.45 ft.

The median for late October is 0.90 ft, based on 34 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.45 ft below typical. It is 19.55 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.62 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. In the last month it has stayed between 0.34 ft and 2.03 ft.

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

Compared with 34 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.90 ft0.45 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.50 ft – 1.39 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (34 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.62 ft−0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.34 ft – 2.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.33 ft – 3.32 ft
Highest on record: 17.79 ftAugust 27, 1995

Floating and fishing near McAlpine Creek at Sardis Road 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 20.00 ft, 19.55 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: AT THIS STAGE THE ROADWAY WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
18.00 ft: PARTS OF OLD BELL RD MAY FLOOD.
15.00 ft: RIVER WILL BE OUT OF BANKS AND WILL FLOOD ONE ROAD LABELED MCALPINE CREEK GREENWAY SOUTH.
14.00 ft: PARTS OF HOLLY LANE MAY BECOME FLOODED.
12.00 ft: 12 FT HERE AND 6.5 OR HIGHER AT ISNN7 HAS CAUSED FLOODING IN PAST. FLOODING OF 2 ROADS SAM NEWELL RD NEAR INDEPENDENCE POINTE PKWY AND TANK TOWN ROAD WILL BE POSSIBLE CALL IF RAINFALL WAS 2 + INCHES.
11.50 ft: CREST OF 11.5 HERE WILL CAUSE A CREST AT MCCN7 OF 13.5 FT.
9.00 ft: CREST OF 9 FT HERE WILL CAUSE A CREST OF 12.14 FT AT MCCN7
2.00 ft: 2.0 OR MORE IN ONE TO 3 HRS WILL LIKELY CAUSE CREEK TO RISE TO 11 FT. ISNN7 MAY RISE TO ARD 7 FT. 2 ROADS WILL LIKELY FLOOD...SAM NEWELL ROAD SOUTHWEST OF INDEPENDENCE POINTE PKWY AND TANK TOWN ROAD...BUTTHESE ROADS ARE WITHIN A DIFFERENT TRIBUTARY OF IRVINS CREEK...NOT THE GAGED MAINSTEM.
1.80 ft: 1.8 IN 1.5 HOUR IN DROUGHT CAUSE A 5.5 FT RISE OR 6 FT RISE IN WET. SSHP DID OK IF YOU USE 1.00 THRESHHOLD RUNOFF VALUE.
1.20 ft: A BASIN RAIN OF 1.20 WILL CAUSE A 8 FT RISE
1.00 ft: 0.70 TO 1.0 IN 2 HRS ON WET GRD BASIN WIDE CAUSED A 7 FT RISE.
0.45 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.79 ft	August 27, 1995
2	17.68 ft	September 16, 2018
3	16.70 ft	March 24, 1979
4	16.34 ft	August 27, 2008
5	16.25 ft	July 23, 1997
6	15.34 ft	October 9, 1976
7	15.21 ft	January 23, 1990
8	15.12 ft	June 8, 2003
9	14.67 ft	January 25, 2010
10	14.36 ft	April 21, 1992

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 McAlpine Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
McAlpine Creek at Sr3150 near IdlewildRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek	1.87 ft	High	−0.01 ft	3.8 mi
McAlpine Creek at Colony Road near Olde ProvidenceRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek	1.54 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	2.6 mi
McAlpine Creek below McMullen Creek near PinevilleRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek	1.09 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	8 mi
McAlpine Creek at Sr2964 near Camp CoxRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek	−0.28 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
McMullen Creek above Lincrest Place at CharlotteRiver gauge, McMullen Creek	1.06 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	2.5 mi
McMullen Creek at Sharon View Road near CharlotteRiver gauge, McMullen Creek	0.79 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	3.0 mi
Irvins Creek at Sr3168 near CharlotteRiver gauge, Irvins Creek	0.66 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	3.4 mi
Campbell Creek near CharlotteRiver gauge, Campbell Creek	1.06 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	3.8 mi
Briar Creek at Providence Road at CharlotteRiver gauge, Briar Creek	1.18 ft	Normal	±0	4.3 mi
Briar Creek above Colony Road at CharlotteRiver gauge, Briar Creek	2.12 ft	Normal	±0	4.4 mi
Edwards Branch at Sheffield Drain at CharlotteRiver gauge, Edwards Branch	0.69 ft	Low	±0	4.5 mi
Little Sugar Creek at Archdale Drain at CharlotteRiver gauge, Little Sugar Creek	1.98 ft	Very low	−0.19 ft	5.1 mi

Questions and answers

Is McAlpine Creek at Sardis Road near Charlotte higher than last year?

No, it is 0.17 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.62 ft.

What is flood stage for McAlpine Creek at Sardis Road near Charlotte?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 19.55 ft below it.

What is a normal level for McAlpine Creek at Sardis Road near Charlotte in late October?

The median for late October is 0.90 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.50 ft and 1.39 ft, based on 34 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 Sardis Road near Charlotte today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT, the water level was 0.45 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is McAlpine Creek at Sardis Road near Charlotte rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.17 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of McAlpine Creek at Sardis Road near Charlotte normal?

Very low for late October. Compared with 34 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:02146600 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.13778, -80.76750 (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	0.45 ft	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional
Flow	1.8 cfs	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: McAlpine Creek at Sardis Road near Charlotte (usgs:02146600). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/mcalpine-creek-at-sardis-road-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