Tuckasegee River at Barker's Creek water level

Name: Tuckasegee River at Barker's Creek 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, Tuckasegee River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

3.41ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 PM EDT (45 min ago)

Flow: 306 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 3.41 ft, the Tuckasegee River at Barker's Creek is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.84 ft, based on 22 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.42 ft below typical. It is 8.59 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.37 ft, a difference of +0.04 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.00 ft and 4.26 ft.

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

Compared with 22 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.84 ft0.42 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.08 ft – 4.54 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (22 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.37 ft+0.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.00 ft – 4.26 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.92 ft – 4.84 ft
Highest on record: 13.26 ftSeptember 17, 2004

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 12.00 ft, still 8.59 ft away.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: BARKERS CREEK ROAD WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
12.00 ft: HOMES NEAR THE RIVER AND ALONG BARKERS CREEK WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
7.39 ft: CREST OF 7.39 HERE AND 8.8 AT BIRN7 CAUSED A CREST DOWNSTREAM OF OVER 10 FT WILL OCCURR AT TKSN7
6.37 ft: A CREST OF 6.37 HERE AND A CREST OF 7.71 AT BIRN7 CAUSED THE TKSN7 TO RISE TO 9.11 FT.
3.41 ft: Right now
1.00 ft: 1 INCH RAIN IN 6 HOUR WILL TAKE RIVER TO 5.5 FT

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.26 ft	September 17, 2004
2	12.39 ft	September 18, 2004
3	10.90 ft	June 13, 2005
4	10.64 ft	December 24, 2015
5	10.09 ft	September 22, 2009
6	10.09 ft	September 22, 2009
7	8.53 ft	September 27, 2004
8	6.92 ft	November 29, 2005

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Tuckasegee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near CullowheeRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River	3.96 ft	Very low	−0.85 ft	11 mi
Tuckasegee River at Bryson CityRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River	1.83 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Oconaluftee River at BirdtownRiver gauge, Oconaluftee River	1.20 ft	Normal	±0	6 mi
Little Tennessee River at NeedmoreRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River	1.90 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	14 mi
Little Tennessee River near PrentissRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River	1.42 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near FranklinRiver gauge, Cartoogechaye Creek	0.21 ft	Low	±0	17 mi
West F Pigeon River above Lake Logan near HazelwoodRiver gauge, West F Pigeon River	0.84 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	20 mi
Nantahala River near HewittRiver gauge, Nantahala River	1.24 ft	Very low	±0	21 mi
West Fork Pigeon River at BethelRiver gauge, West Fork Pigeon River	0.12 ft	Very low	±0	23 mi
Cataloochee Creek near CataloocheeRiver gauge, Cataloochee Creek	2.20 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	23 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Tuckasegee River at Barker's Creek higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.04 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.37 ft.

What is flood stage for the Tuckasegee River at Barker's Creek?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 8.59 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Tuckasegee River at Barker's Creek in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.84 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.08 ft and 4.54 ft, based on 22 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 Tuckasegee River at Barker's Creek today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 PM EDT, the water level was 3.41 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Tuckasegee River at Barker's Creek rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Tuckasegee River at Barker's Creek normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 22 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:03510577 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.38444, -83.29167 (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	3.41 ft	2026-10-21 03:15	Provisional
Flow	306 cfs	2026-10-21 03:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tuckasegee River at Barker's Creek (usgs:03510577). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/tuckasegee-river-at-barkers-creek

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