Nivelmap
EN

McDowell Creek near Huntersville water level

River gauge, McDowell Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for late October

Water level

1.50ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
0.6 cfs
0 5 10 15 Highest onrecord 16.00 ft Minor floodstage 14.00 ft

History

History
1.01.5ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 211.01.5ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
1234ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 14Oct 211234ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
24ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 202624ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
24ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202624ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

McDowell Creek near Huntersville is at 1.50 ft, in the normal range for late October.

That puts it 0.02 ft below the median of 1.52 ft for late October, based on 20 years of readings. It is 12.50 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.59 ft (−0.09 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.50 ft and 2.87 ft.

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

Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.52 ft0.02 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.82 ft – 1.72 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (20 years of records)
Same day last year
1.59 ft−0.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.50 ft – 2.87 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.50 ft – 3.64 ft
Highest on record
16.00 ftJune 29, 2013

Floating and fishing near McDowell Creek near Huntersville

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 14.00 ft, 12.50 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
GILEAD ROAD WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD
16.00 ft
HOMES NEAR GILEAD ST ARE FLOODED
15.00 ft
PARTS OF GILEAD AND MCLLWAINE ROADS WILL BE FLOODED.
14.00 ft
SOME HOMES DOWNSTREAM OF GILEAD ROAD WILL HAVE WATER IN THEIR BASEMENTS.
12.00 ft
WATER WILL COVER YARDS OF HOMES ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CREEK NORTH AND SOUTH OF GILEAD ROAD.
10.55 ft
NO FLOOD PROBLEMS.
6.50 ft
GAGE HEIGHT RISE CAUSED BY BACKWATER AFFECTS FROM RELEASES FROM COWANS FORD RESERVOIR ON CATAWBA RIVER. CWAN7 HP WAS 102 FT.
2.25 ft
2.25 IN 6 HOUR CAUSED A 9 FT RISE IN CREEK.
1.50 ft
Right now
1.25 ft
1.25 INCH IN 1.5 HOURS WILL CAUSE CREEK TO RISE 4.5 FEET.
1.10 ft
1.1 IN 1 HR WILL CAUSE A 4 FT RISE.

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
116.00 ftJune 29, 2013
214.14 ftAugust 27, 2008
311.34 ftJanuary 25, 2010
410.93 ftMarch 2, 2007
59.64 ftNovember 11, 2009
68.05 ftNovember 16, 2006
77.16 ftNovember 22, 2006

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 76%

Map

Other gauges on McDowell Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
McDowell Creek near Charlotte, Nc Csw10River gauge, McDowell Creek 3.91 ft High +0.19 ft 2.1 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Torrence Creek at Bradford Hill Ln near HuntersvlleRiver gauge, Torrence Creek 1.19 ft Very low +0.02 ft 0.5 mi
McDowell Creek Tributary at Sr2131 near Hicks CrossroadsRiver gauge, McDowell Creek Tributary 1.22 ft Very low +0.01 ft 1.6 mi
Gar Creek at Sr2074 near CroftRiver gauge, Gar Creek 1.02 ft Low ±0 3.2 mi
Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans FordRiver gauge, Catawba River 3.24 ft Low +0.01 ft 4.0 mi
Long Creek near Paw CreekRiver gauge, Long Creek 1.43 ft Normal +0.10 ft 5.5 mi
West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near CorneliusRiver gauge, West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River 2.97 ft High −0.01 ft 7 mi
Catawba River Dnstrm Deck Mountain Is Dam near MountainRiver gauge, Catawba River Dnstrm Deck Mountain Is Dam 8.72 ft Normal −0.09 ft 7 mi
Clarke Creek near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Clarke Creek 3.87 ft Very high ±0 8 mi

Questions and answers

How does McDowell Creek near Huntersville compare with last year?

It is 0.09 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.59 ft.

What is flood stage for McDowell Creek near Huntersville?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 12.50 ft below it.

What is a normal level for McDowell Creek near Huntersville in late October?

The median for late October is 1.52 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.82 ft and 1.72 ft, based on 20 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 McDowell Creek near Huntersville today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:25 AM EDT, the water level was 1.50 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is McDowell Creek near Huntersville rising or falling?

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

Is the level of McDowell Creek near Huntersville normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 20 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:02142654 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.40694, -80.89056 (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 1.50 ft 2026-10-21 08:25 Provisional
Flow 0.6 cfs 2026-10-21 08:25 Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: McDowell Creek near Huntersville (usgs:02142654). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/mcdowell-creek-near-huntersville

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.