Walnut Creek at Trailwood Drive at Raleigh water level

Name: Walnut Creek at Trailwood Drive at Raleigh 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, Walnut Creek, North Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for late October

Water level

3.80ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 06:05 AM EDT (19 min ago)

Flow: 0.9 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 3.80 ft, Walnut Creek at Trailwood Drive at Raleigh is below normal for late October.

The median for late October is 3.92 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.12 ft below typical. It is 8.20 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 3.86 ft, a difference of −0.06 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.04 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 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.92 ft0.12 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.80 ft – 4.41 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.86 ft−0.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.73 ft – 4.91 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.72 ft – 6.98 ft
Highest on record: 12.04 ftOctober 9, 2021

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 8.20 ft away.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Major flooding begins as water reaches the intersection of Trailwood Dr and Avent Ferry Rd. Portions of Avent Ferry will be closed.
14.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins as water reaches Trailwood Dr.
13.00 ft: Water reaches the parking lot adjacent to the Trailwood Dr and Avent Ferry Rd intersection.
12.00 ft: Minor flooding begins as Walnut creek reaches bankfull at the Trailwood Dr bridge.
10.00 ft: At 10ft, water reaches the Walnut Creek Greenway upstream of the Trailwood Dr bridge and gage site
3.80 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.04 ft	October 9, 2021
2	6.95 ft	October 10, 2018
3	6.59 ft	September 16, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 71° 47° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 71° 46° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 69° 53° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 69° 51° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 71° 52° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 71° 52° – Wind 7 mph

27 Tue 74° 55° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on Walnut Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Walnut Creek at Buck Jones Road at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	0.98 ft	Below flood stage	±0	2.6 mi
Walnut Creek at South Wilmington St at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	0.66 ft	Low	−0.09 ft	2.9 mi
Walnut Creek at South State Street at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	1.57 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	3.8 mi
Walnut Creek at Rose Lane at RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	3.99 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	5.1 mi
Walnut Creek at Sunnybrook Drive near RaleighRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	2.28 ft	Low	−0.15 ft	6.1 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Johnson above Dam at RaleighReservoir, Lake Johnson	343.25 ft	Highest on record	−0.03 ft	0.9 mi
Rocky Branch below Pullen Road at RaleighRiver gauge, Rocky Branch	4.70 ft	High	−0.03 ft	1.6 mi
Pigeon House Creek at Cameron Village at RaleighRiver gauge, Pigeon House Creek	1.40 ft	Normal	±0	2.4 mi
Pigeon House Creek at Dortch Street at RaleighRiver gauge, Pigeon House Creek	1.94 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	3.2 mi
Pigeon House Creek at Fenton Street at RaleighRiver gauge, Pigeon House Creek	3.88 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	4.6 mi
Crabtree Creek at Anderson Drive at RaleighRiver gauge, Crabtree Creek	2.36 ft	Low	−0.12 ft	4.8 mi
Swift Creek near ApexRiver gauge, Swift Creek	1.63 ft	Very low	−1.10 ft	4.8 mi

Questions and answers

Is Walnut Creek at Trailwood Drive at Raleigh higher than last year?

No, it is 0.06 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.86 ft.

What is flood stage for Walnut Creek at Trailwood Drive at Raleigh?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 8.20 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Walnut Creek at Trailwood Drive at Raleigh in late October?

The median for late October is 3.92 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.80 ft and 4.41 ft, based on 9 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 Walnut Creek at Trailwood Drive at Raleigh today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 06:05 AM EDT, the water level was 3.80 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Walnut Creek at Trailwood Drive at Raleigh rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.20 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Walnut Creek at Trailwood Drive at Raleigh normal?

Low for late October. Compared with 9 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:0208734210 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.76839, -78.69100 (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	3.80 ft	2026-10-21 10:05	Provisional
Flow	0.9 cfs	2026-10-21 10:05	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Walnut Creek at Trailwood Drive at Raleigh (usgs:0208734210). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/walnut-creek-at-trailwood-drive-at-raleigh

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