West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near Cornelius water level

Name: West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near Cornelius 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, West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River, North Carolina, United States

Directions

High for late October

Water level

2.97ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:35 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 0.7 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near Cornelius shows 2.97 ft, above normal for late October.

That puts it 0.43 ft above the median of 2.54 ft for late October, based on 21 years of readings. It is 12.03 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.10 ft (−0.13 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.96 ft and 4.39 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.54 ft0.43 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.05 ft – 3.30 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.10 ft−0.13 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.96 ft – 4.39 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.85 ft – 4.51 ft
Highest on record: 16.96 ftJune 29, 2013

What the stage means on the water

Fast, high water is not the time for casual paddling. Strainers, debris and cold water make an unplanned swim dangerous.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 15.00 ft, still 12.03 ft away.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. Significant, damaging flooding of homes along Indian Oaks Ln, Lynx Den Ct, Copeland Way, and Green Knoll Trce may be ongoing.
19.00 ft: Moderate flooding continues. Floodwaters may be impacting homes along Copeland Way, Lynx Den Ct, and Indian Oaks Ln.
18.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. Flooding of the lowest elevations of homes along Copeland Way, Lynx Den Ct, and Indian Oaks Ln may be imminent.
16.50 ft: Minor flooding continues. Deeper flooding of residential yards may be ongoing for the lowest elevations between River Ford Dr and Shearer Rd.
16.00 ft: Minor flooding continues. Flooding of the lowest elevations of River Ford Dr is imminent.
15.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. Floodwaters may be approaching property between River Ford Dr and Shearer Rd, especially on the left bank of the W Branch Rocky River. The Rocky River may be flooding both Poplar Tent Rd and Cox Mill Rd near their intersection.
14.00 ft: Action Stage flooding continues. The culvert passing the W Branch Rocky River underneath River Ford Dr is reaching capacity.
13.50 ft: Action Stage flooding continues. A crest near 13.5 feet may result in the Rocky River reaching the bottom of the bridge at Poplar Tent Rd approximately 7-9 hours later.
13.00 ft: Action Stage flooding continues. The West Branch Rocky River may begin to flood the lowest elevations of residential yards between Rocky Ford Dr and Shearer Rd, especially near Lynx Den Ct and Copeland Way.
12.00 ft: Action Stage. Flooding of the lowest elevations of Poplar Tent Rd and Cox Mill Rd may be imminent.
2.97 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.96 ft	June 29, 2013
2	15.64 ft	November 12, 2020
3	15.37 ft	August 27, 2008
4	15.19 ft	February 6, 2020
5	15.08 ft	June 28, 2013
6	14.96 ft	January 9, 2024
7	14.95 ft	June 20, 2023
8	14.84 ft	December 30, 2015
9	14.35 ft	January 25, 2010
10	13.96 ft	March 2, 2007

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Coddle Creek at SR 1612 near DavidsonRiver gauge, Coddle Creek	2.05 ft	High	−0.01 ft	3.9 mi
Clarke Creek near HarrisburgRiver gauge, Clarke Creek	3.87 ft	Very high	±0	4.3 mi
Torrence Creek at Bradford Hill Ln near HuntersvlleRiver gauge, Torrence Creek	1.19 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	7 mi
McDowell Creek near HuntersvilleRiver gauge, McDowell Creek	1.50 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	7 mi
McDowell Creek Tributary at Sr2131 near Hicks CrossroadsRiver gauge, McDowell Creek Tributary	1.22 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	8 mi
McDowell Creek near Charlotte, Nc Csw10River gauge, McDowell Creek	3.92 ft	Very high	+0.20 ft	9 mi
Gar Creek at Sr2074 near CroftRiver gauge, Gar Creek	1.02 ft	Low	±0	10 mi
Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans FordRiver gauge, Catawba River	3.31 ft	Low	+0.05 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

How does the West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near Cornelius compare with last year?

It is 0.13 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.10 ft.

What is flood stage for the West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near Cornelius?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 12.03 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near Cornelius in late October?

The median for late October is 2.54 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.05 ft and 3.30 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 West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near Cornelius today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:35 AM EDT, the water level was 2.97 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near Cornelius rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near Cornelius normal?

High 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:0212393300 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.46778, -80.79028 (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	2.97 ft	2026-10-21 07:35	Provisional
Flow	0.7 cfs	2026-10-21 07:35	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: West Branch Rocky R B Mouth of South Prong River near Cornelius (usgs:0212393300). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-carolina/west-branch-rocky-r-b-mouth-of-south-prong-river-near-cornelius

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