South Fork Catawba River at Lowell water level

Name: South Fork Catawba River at Lowell 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, South Fork Catawba River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

2.15ft Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 265 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.50 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:56 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at South Fork Catawba River at Lowell reads 2.15 ft, a normal level for late October.

That puts it 0.08 ft below the median of 2.23 ft for late October, based on 27 years of readings. It is 7.85 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.25 ft (−0.10 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.16 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.50 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.76 ft and 6.94 ft.

Compared with 27 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.23 ft0.08 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.73 ft – 3.19 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (27 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.25 ft−0.10 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.76 ft – 6.94 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.30 ft – 6.94 ft
Highest on record: 21.33 ftAugust 15, 1940
Forecast peak: 2.50 ftThursday, October 22 at 08:00 AM

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 10.00 ft, still 7.85 ft away.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft: Major, devastating flooding of the town of Cramerton is ongoing.
16.50 ft: Major Flooding continues. Several roads adjacent to the South Fork Catawba River in Cramerton and McAdenville may be inundated. Significant flooding of homes and businesses along the river may be ongoing. Additionally, floodwaters may be inundating parts of Lakeview Dr. in McAdenville and and Catawba Run in Lowell. Floodwaters may be impacting the Willow Rd. water treatment plant in McAdenville.
15.50 ft: Major Flood Stage. South Fork Catawba River floodwaters may be inundating the Cramerton Fire Department, Cramerton Drug Store, the former South Fork Masonic Lodge building, and adjacent homes and businesses along 8th Ave. Floodwaters may be flooding the lowest elevations of the Cramerton Police Department parking lot. Flooding of Duharts Creek may be impacting adjacent sections of Mayflower Rd., and Cramer Mountain Rd. may be inundated with several inches of water.
13.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Unusual, damaging flooding is developing adjacent to the South Fork Catawba River with considerable impacts to property. Significant flooding of Goat Island Park and Riverside Park is ongoing. Floodwaters are threatening the Cramerton Fire Department and adjacent businesses. The river is approaching the crawl spaces of homes along Riverside Dr between 4th St and 5th St in Cramerton.
12.00 ft: Minor Flooding continues. South Fork Catawba River floodwaters may approach the Cramerton Fire Department building at the intersection 8th Ave and 9th St. The parking lot behind the adjacent Cramerton Drug Company may be flooded. Floodwaters may approach one home along Riverside Dr. in Cramerton.
11.50 ft: Minor Flooding continues. The South Fork Catawba River is likely inundating Riverside Dr. between 5th and 6th Streets in Cramerton with several inches of water. The pumping station at Pharr Yarns in McAdenville may begin to flood.
11.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage continues. The South Fork Catawba River may begin flooding Riverside Dr. between 5th and 6th Streets in Cramerton. Floodwaters may also approach residential yards along Catawba Run Rd., near the streamgauge. Hoyle Creek floodwaters, possibly due to backwater effects from the South Fork Catawba River, may begin to impact the Old Willis School Road bridge near Sandcastle Rd.
10.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. South Fork Catawba River floodwaters are beginning to inundate Goat Island Park. More significant inundation is beginning to occur at Riverside Park. Floodwaters are approaching Riverside Dr near 5th and 6th Streets in Cramerton.
9.00 ft: Action/Advisory Stage. South Fork Catawba River floodwaters begin to enter Riverside Park in Cramerton.
2.15 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.33 ft	August 15, 1940
2	17.50 ft	July 29, 2013
3	17.38 ft	August 11, 1970
4	16.98 ft	September 19, 1945
5	16.22 ft	February 7, 2020
6	15.88 ft	March 21, 2003
7	15.72 ft	March 2, 1987
8	15.43 ft	September 28, 2024
9	15.30 ft	March 4, 1952
10	15.14 ft	January 10, 2024

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Catawba River Dnstrm Deck Mountain Is Dam near MountainRiver gauge, Catawba River Dnstrm Deck Mountain Is Dam	8.82 ft	High	+0.07 ft	7 mi
Long Creek near RhyneRiver gauge, Long Creek	2.18 ft	Very high	+0.03 ft	7 mi
Long Creek near Bessemer CityRiver gauge, Long Creek	0.93 ft	Low	±0	8 mi
Paw Creek at Wilkinson Blvd near CharlotteRiver gauge, Paw Creek	1.27 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	8 mi
Gum Branch near ThriftRiver gauge, Gum Branch	1.69 ft	High	±0	9 mi
Beaverdam Creek above Windy Gap Road near ShoptonRiver gauge, Beaverdam Creek	1.14 ft	Very high	+0.09 ft	10 mi
Killian Creek near MariposaRiver gauge, Killian Creek	3.01 ft	High	+0.11 ft	11 mi
Long Creek near Paw CreekRiver gauge, Long Creek	1.46 ft	High	+0.17 ft	11 mi

Questions and answers

How does the South Fork Catawba River at Lowell compare with last year?

It is 0.10 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.25 ft.

What is flood stage for the South Fork Catawba River at Lowell?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.85 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the South Fork Catawba River at Lowell in late October?

The median for late October is 2.23 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.73 ft and 3.19 ft, based on 27 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 South Fork Catawba River at Lowell today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT, the water level was 2.15 ft. Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Catawba River at Lowell rising or falling?

Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 1.77 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South Fork Catawba River at Lowell normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 27 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:02145000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.28528, -81.10111 (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	2.15 ft	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional
Flow	265 cfs	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

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

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/15709?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South Fork Catawba River at Lowell water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Catawba River at Lowell (usgs:02145000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/south-fork-catawba-river-at-lowell

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