Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee water level

Name: Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee 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

Very low for late October

Water level

3.95ft Down 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 02:15 AM EDT (40 min ago)

Flow: 54.8 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee is running far below normal at 3.95 ft.

The median for late October is 5.01 ft, based on 21 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.06 ft below typical. It is 12.05 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 4.24 ft, a difference of −0.29 ft.

It has dropped 0.22 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 21 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.01 ft1.06 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.03 ft – 5.68 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.24 ft−0.29 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.84 ft – 5.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.82 ft – 6.10 ft
Highest on record: 17.37 ftSeptember 8, 2004

Floating and fishing near Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 16.00 ft, 12.05 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: SOME HOMES AND BUILDINGS WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD NEAR THE GAGE SITE.
15.00 ft: SOME HOMES AND BUSINESSES NEAR CULLOWHEE WILL BE AFFECTED.
14.00 ft: LOW LYING AREAS ALONG PARTS OF HIGHWAY 107 ALONG THE RIVER WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
13.00 ft: CALL DUKE POWER TO SEE HOW MANY GATES ARE OPEN AND DISCHARGE. PASS THIS ON TO LMRFC. 5000 CFS OR MORE WILL CAUSE MINOR FLOODING DOWNSTREAM AND AT BRYSON CITY.
3.95 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.37 ft	September 8, 2004
2	15.76 ft	June 12, 2005
3	14.77 ft	September 17, 2004
4	13.97 ft	July 5, 2013
5	12.24 ft	September 21, 2009
6	11.04 ft	September 28, 2004
7	9.55 ft	December 15, 2010
8	8.40 ft	November 28, 2011
9	8.33 ft	November 29, 2005
10	7.88 ft	December 23, 2013

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the Tuckasegee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tuckasegee River at Barker's CreekRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River	3.22 ft	Low	±0	11 mi
Tuckasegee River at Bryson CityRiver gauge, Tuckasegee River	1.90 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	20 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West F Pigeon River above Lake Logan near HazelwoodRiver gauge, West F Pigeon River	0.84 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Little Tennessee River near PrentissRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River	1.42 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	16 mi
Oconaluftee River at BirdtownRiver gauge, Oconaluftee River	1.18 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	17 mi
Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near FranklinRiver gauge, Cartoogechaye Creek	0.20 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	18 mi
West Fork Pigeon River at BethelRiver gauge, West Fork Pigeon River	0.12 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	18 mi
East Fork Pigeon River near CantonRiver gauge, East Fork Pigeon River	−0.08 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	20 mi
French Broad River at RosmanRiver gauge, French Broad River	2.06 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	21 mi
Chattooga River at Burrells Ford, near Pine MountainRiver gauge, Chattooga River	0.77 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee higher than last year?

No, it is 0.29 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.24 ft.

What is flood stage for the Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 12.05 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee in late October?

The median for late October is 5.01 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.03 ft and 5.68 ft, based on 21 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 SR 1172 near Cullowhee today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 02:15 AM EDT, the water level was 3.95 ft. Down 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee rising or falling?

Down 0.22 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.72 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee normal?

Very low for late October. Compared with 21 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:03508050 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.28778, -83.14389 (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	3.95 ft	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional
Flow	54.8 cfs	2026-10-21 06:15	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/6885?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee (usgs:03508050). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/tuckasegee-river-at-sr-1172-near-cullowhee

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