Waccamaw River at Freeland water level

Name: Waccamaw River at Freeland 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, Waccamaw River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.98ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 6.9 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 fall to 1.90 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 08:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:47 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Waccamaw River at Freeland is running below normal at 1.98 ft.

That puts it 3.74 ft below the median of 5.73 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. It is 13.02 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 13.17 ft (−11.19 ft).

It has dropped 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.90 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 08:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 1.65 ft and 2.97 ft.

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.73 ft3.74 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.56 ft – 13.91 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year: 13.17 ft−11.19 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.65 ft – 2.97 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.19 ft – 12.72 ft
Highest on record: 22.67 ftSeptember 20, 2018
Lowest on record: 0.05 ftOctober 4, 1954
Forecast peak: 2.00 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Waccamaw River at Freeland

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

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 13.02 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

22.70 ft: Impassable or flooded roads include Rivergate DR,Pireway RD from Horseshoe RD NW to Rivergate DR,Mosquito Rd NW,Tripp TRL,Ash-Little River RD from Long RD NW to Hughes Smith RD,Ash-Little River RD near Pireway RD,Kingtown RD,Dock,RD,and Crusoe Island RD,Myrtlehead RD and HWY 130 near Freeland,Hwy 905 near Gores Chapel RD,Manley Smith RD near Old Baggett RD,Manley Smith Rd near Reaves Ferry RD,the end of Reaves Ferry RD near Nakina,and Indigo Flats RD East. HWY 130 will flood between Dock RD and Whiteville.
22.00 ft: Impassable or flooded roads include Rivergate DR,Pireway RD from Horseshoe RD NW to Rivergate DR,Mosquito Rd NW,Tripp TRL,Ash-Little River RD from Long RD NW to Hughes Smith RD,Ash-Little River RD near Pireway RD,Kingtown RD,Dock,RD,and Crusoe Island RD,Myrtlehead RD and HWY 130 near Freeland,Hwy 905 near Gores Chapel RD,Manley Smith RD near Old Baggett RD,Manley Smith Rd near Reaves Ferry RD,the end of Reaves Ferry RD near Nakina,and Indigo Flats RD East. HWY 130 may flood between Dock RD and Whiteville.
21.00 ft: Extensive flooding. Kingtown RD,Dock,RD,Crusoe Island RD,HWY 905 near Gores Chapel RD,Manley Smith RD near Old Baggett RD,Ash-Little River RD between Long RD NW and Hughes Smith RD,Pireway RD between Horseshoe RD NW and Rivergate DR will be impassable. Tripp TRL nearer the river,the end of Reaves Ferry RD near Nakina,Myrtlehead RD,and HWY 130 near Freeland are flooded. Myrtlehead RD,Indigo Flats RD East,and HWY 130 near Freeland may be impassable. Manley Smith RD near Reaves Ferry RD flood.
20.00 ft: HWY 905 near Gores Chapel RD,Manley Smith RD near Old Baggett RD,Ash-Little River RD from Mosquito RD NW to Hughes Smith RD,Pireway RD from Horseshoe RD NW to Rivergate DR and Rivergate DR itself will be impassable. Tripp TRL nearer the river and Mosquito Rd NW flood. Kingtown RD,Dock,RD,and Crusoe Island RD are impassable in multiple locations. The end of Reaves Ferry RD near Nakina,Myrtlehead RD,and HWY 130 near Freeland are flooded. Indigo Flats RD East and Manley Smith Rd near Reaves Ferry RD may flood.
19.00 ft: Extensive flooding. Ash-Little River RD near Wet Ash Swamp,Pireway RD between Horseshoe RD NW and Rivergate DR and Rivergate DR itself will be impassable. Mosquito Rd NW may flood near Ash-Little River RD and Tripp TRL will be flooded nearer the river. Kingtown RD, Dock, RD, and Crusoe Island RD may be impassable in multiple locations. Myrtlehead RD and HWY 130 will flood. HWY 905 near Gores Chapel RD, Manley Smith RD near Old Baggett RD, and the end of Reaves Ferry RD near Nakina will be flooded.
18.00 ft: Ash-Little River RD at Wet Ash Swamp,Pireway RD between Horseshoe RD NW and Rivergate DR,and Rivergate DR itself may become impassable. Flooding worsens on Crusoe Island RD,on Kingtown RD near Myrtlehead RD, on Dock RD near Long Corner RD,and at the ends of Mosquito Rd NW and Tripp TRL. Dock RD may begin to flood at Crusoe Island RD. HWY 905 near Gores Chapel RD and Manley Smith RD near Old Baggett RD may begin to flood. The end of Reaves Ferry RD near Nakina will be flooded.
17.00 ft: Flooding continues to worsen along the river. Much of Pireway Road between Horseshoe Road NW and Rivergate Drive will be flooded as will Rivergate Drive. The ends of Mosquito Rd NW and Tripp Trail will be flooded. Ash-Little River Road will be flooded near Wet Ash Swamp. Kingtown Road near Myrtlehead Road may begin to flood. Dock Road near Long Corner Road may begin to flood. Crusoe Island Road near Robin Lane may begin to flood. The end of Reaves Ferry Road near Nakina will be flooded.
16.00 ft: Water will continue to spread out of its banks and into swamps along the river and some yards near the river will begin to flood. Fields along Kingstown Rd, Crusoe Island Road, and Dock Road may begin to flood. Pireway Road NW may begin to flood between Horseshoe Road NW and Rivergate Drive. Rivergate Drive may begin to flood. Mosquito Rd NW may begin to flood. The end of Reaves Ferry Road near Nakina may be flooded. Ash-Little River Road may begin to flood near Wet Ash Swamp.
15.00 ft: Water will continue to spread out of its banks and into swamps along the river and some yards near the river may begin to flood. This includes areas along Rivergate Drive, the end of Reaves Ferry Road near Nakina, the end of Mosquito Rd NW, Kingtown Road, and Crusoe Island Road.
14.00 ft: Water will continue to spread out of its banks and into swamps along the river. Boat landings will be flooded.
13.00 ft: Water will spread out of its banks and into swamps along the river. Boat landings may begin to flood.
1.98 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.67 ft	September 20, 2018
2	19.30 ft	September 21, 1999
3	19.00 ft	October 12, 2016
4	17.45 ft	August 12, 2024
5	17.02 ft	September 12, 1996
6	16.99 ft	October 22, 1999
7	16.95 ft	October 8, 2015
8	16.63 ft	September 26, 1955
9	16.52 ft	February 22, 2021
10	16.47 ft	March 23, 1983

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:34 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Waccamaw River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Waccamaw River near LongsRiver gauge, Waccamaw River	1.35 ft	Very low	−0.09 ft	16 mi
Waccamaw River at Sc-22 below LongsRiver gauge, Waccamaw River	10.83 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	22 mi
Waccamaw River above ConwayTidal gauge, Waccamaw River	2.07 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Waccamaw River at Conway Marina at ConwayRiver gauge, Waccamaw River	8.37 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	34 mi
Waccamaw River at BucksportTidal gauge, Waccamaw River	17.89 ft	High	+0.27 ft	44 mi
Waccamaw River near Pawleys IslandTidal gauge, Waccamaw River	5.91 ft	Normal	+0.41 ft	53 mi
Waccamaw River near Hagley Land. near Pawleys IslandTidal gauge, Waccamaw River	16.30 ft	Normal	+0.27 ft	58 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Buck Creek near LongsRiver gauge, Buck Creek	5.35 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Aiw at Highway 9 at Nixons CrossroadsTidal gauge, Aiw	12.32 ft	Low	−0.49 ft	18 mi
Cape Fear River at Lock 1 near KellyRiver gauge, Cape Fear River	14.82 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	26 mi
Crabtree Swamp at ConwayRiver gauge, Crabtree Swamp	11.59 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	33 mi
Lumber River at BoardmanRiver gauge, Lumber River	2.59 ft	Very low	−0.12 ft	34 mi
Lumber River at NicholsRiver gauge, Lumber River	11.65 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	35 mi
Aiw at Highway 544 at SocasteeTidal gauge, Aiw	13.20 ft	High	+0.09 ft	38 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Waccamaw River at Freeland compare with last year?

It is 11.19 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 13.17 ft.

What is flood stage for the Waccamaw River at Freeland?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 13.02 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Waccamaw River at Freeland in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.73 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.56 ft and 13.91 ft, based on 36 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 Waccamaw River at Freeland today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 PM EDT, the water level was 1.98 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Waccamaw River at Freeland rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.62 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Waccamaw River at Freeland normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 36 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:02109500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.09500, -78.54833 (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	1.98 ft	2026-10-21 02:30	Provisional
Flow	6.9 cfs	2026-10-21 02:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Waccamaw River at Freeland (usgs:02109500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/waccamaw-river-at-freeland

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