Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at Durham water level

Name: Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at Durham 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, Third Fork Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

0.23ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:20 PM EDT (28 min ago)

Flow: 0.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at Durham is at 0.23 ft, in the normal range.

It is 6.77 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 0.15 ft and 1.76 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 8.76 ftSeptember 17, 2018

Floating and fishing near Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at Durham

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

Flood stage here is 7.00 ft, 6.77 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

8.00 ft: There is significant flooding of the Durham Department of Public Works parking lot.
7.00 ft: Minor flood stage. The Third Fork Creek Trail will be flooded. Water will appproach the parking lot of the Durham Department of Public Works.
6.00 ft: Action Stage. Third Fork Creek reaches bankfull
0.23 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	8.76 ft	September 17, 2018
2	8.56 ft	September 27, 2024
3	8.31 ft	July 1, 2023
4	7.77 ft	July 29, 2026
5	7.58 ft	July 10, 2022
6	7.44 ft	August 8, 2024
7	7.40 ft	September 22, 2024
8	7.24 ft	February 16, 2021
9	7.15 ft	October 11, 2018
10	7.12 ft	September 24, 2024

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on Third Fork Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Third Fork Creek at Woodcroft Parkway near BlandsRiver gauge, Third Fork Creek	1.30 ft	Normal	±0	2.4 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sandy Creek at Cornwallis Road near DurhamRiver gauge, Sandy Creek	1.96 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	2.8 mi
Northeast Creek Tributary at Sr1182 near Lowes GroveRiver gauge, Northeast Creek Tributary	1.71 ft	Very high	−0.08 ft	3.1 mi
Ellerbe Creek at Club Boulevard at DurhamRiver gauge, Ellerbe Creek	1.01 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	5.0 mi
New Hope Creek near BlandsRiver gauge, New Hope Creek	4.07 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	5.1 mi
Northeast Creek at Sr1100 near GenleeRiver gauge, Northeast Creek	4.09 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	5.5 mi
Little Lick Creek at Nc Highway 98 at Oak GroveRiver gauge, Little Lick Creek	1.21 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	6.1 mi
Morgan Creek near Chapel HillRiver gauge, Morgan Creek	4.21 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	7 mi
Booker Creek at SR 1751 near Chapel HillRiver gauge, Booker Creek	3.85 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at Durham?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 6.77 ft below it.

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 Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at Durham today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:20 PM EDT, the water level was 0.23 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at Durham rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at Durham normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at Durham?

The highest level on record is 8.76 ft on September 17, 2018.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:0209725960 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.95118, -78.92694 (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	0.23 ft	2026-10-20 21:20	Provisional
Flow	0.4 cfs	2026-10-20 21:20	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Third Fork Creek at M.l. King Parkway at Durham (usgs:0209725960). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/third-fork-creek-at-m-l-king-parkway-at-durham

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