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Middle Creek near Clayton water level

River gauge, Middle Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for late October

Water level

1.54ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
16.9 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 13.56 ft Minor floodstage 11.00 ft

History

1.52.02.5ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 211.52.02.5ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
510ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 13Oct 21Minor flood stage510ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21Minor flood stage
510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
358ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026358ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

At 1.54 ft, Middle Creek near Clayton is below normal for late October.

The median for late October is 1.80 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.26 ft below typical. It is 9.46 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.59 ft, a difference of −0.05 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.04 ft 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
1.80 ft0.26 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.54 ft – 2.76 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year
1.59 ft−0.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.36 ft – 1.90 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.31 ft – 5.09 ft
Highest on record
13.56 ftSeptember 25, 2024

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 11.00 ft, still 9.46 ft away.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft
MAJOR FLOODING ALONG OLD DRUGSTORE ROAD IN THE VICINITY OF HWY 50.
13.00 ft
MODERATE FLOODING. OLD DRUGSTORE ROAD BEGINS TO FLOOD NEAR ITS INTERSECTION WITH HWY 50.
11.00 ft
MINOR FLOODING ALONG OLD DRUGSTORE ROAD.
1.54 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
113.56 ftSeptember 25, 2024
212.04 ftAugust 9, 2024
39.57 ftSeptember 17, 2018
48.46 ftOctober 13, 2018

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Swift Creek at Sr1555 near ClaytonRiver gauge, Swift Creek 1.07 ft Very low −0.04 ft 5.2 mi
Swift Creek near McCullars CrossroadsRiver gauge, Swift Creek 1.71 ft Normal ±0 10 mi
Neuse River near ClaytonRiver gauge, Neuse River 1.39 ft Low −0.03 ft 12 mi
Walnut Creek at Sunnybrook Drive near RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 2.29 ft Low −0.07 ft 13 mi
Walnut Creek at South State Street at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 1.58 ft Very low −0.07 ft 13 mi
Walnut Creek at Rose Lane at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 3.99 ft Low −0.14 ft 13 mi
Walnut Creek at South Wilmington St at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek 0.68 ft Normal −0.10 ft 13 mi
Swift Creek near ApexRiver gauge, Swift Creek 1.65 ft Very low −1.09 ft 14 mi

Questions and answers

Is Middle Creek near Clayton higher than last year?

No, it is 0.05 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.59 ft.

What is flood stage for Middle Creek near Clayton?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 9.46 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Middle Creek near Clayton in late October?

The median for late October is 1.80 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.54 ft and 2.76 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 Middle Creek near Clayton today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:00 AM EDT, the water level was 1.54 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Middle Creek near Clayton rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Middle Creek near Clayton normal?

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:02088000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.57083, -78.59056 (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 05:00 Provisional
Flow 16.9 cfs 2026-10-21 05:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Middle Creek near Clayton (usgs:02088000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/middle-creek-near-clayton

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