Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower) water level

Name: Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower) 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, Ohio River, Ohio, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

14.02ft Up 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT (30 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 12.70 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 02:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:05 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower), where the gauge shows 14.02 ft.

It is 21.98 ft below the flood stage of 36.00 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 12.70 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 02:00 PM. There is still 21.98 ft of room before flood stage. The 30-day range is 12.47 ft – 15.08 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 50.20 ftDecember 31, 1942
Forecast peak: 14.10 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 36.00 ft.

What happens at each level

45.00 ft: Flood waters are approximately one foot deep at the flood indicator pole near the old senior center on Route 2.
42.00 ft: Lock walls overtopped. Flood waters are approximately one foot deep at the flood indicator pole near Harrison and South Chester Streets.
41.00 ft: Flood waters are approximately one foot deep at the flood indicator pole near Jefferson Street and Route 2.
40.00 ft: Flood waters are approximately one foot deep at the flood indicator pole near Adams Street and Route 2.
39.00 ft: Flood waters are approximately one foot deep near the flood indicator pole on South Chestnut Street at the bottom of Chelsea Hill.
38.00 ft: Flood waters are approximately one foot deep near the flood indicator pole on may street.
37.00 ft: Navigation suspended, lock out of service. Flood waters are approximately one foot deep near the flood pole indicator at the south end of South Chestnut Street.
14.02 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	50.20 ft	December 31, 1942
2	46.50 ft	January 26, 1937
3	45.70 ft	March 11, 1964
4	45.60 ft	March 7, 1945
5	45.60 ft	January 20, 1996
6	45.50 ft	April 27, 1937
7	45.40 ft	June 24, 1972
8	44.90 ft	October 17, 1954
9	44.50 ft	September 19, 2004
10	44.40 ft	January 23, 1937

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 67° 41° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 67° 40° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 65° 41° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 64° 44° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 66° 41° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 68° 45° – Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 67° 48° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:36 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Ohio River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Upper Pool @ EmsworthRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.62 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	28 mi
Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Lower Pool @ EmsworthRiver gauge, Ohio River	15.04 ft	High	−0.23 ft	28 mi
Ohio River at SewickleyRiver gauge, Ohio River	14.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	22 mi
Ohio River at Montgomery Lock & Dam, Lower PoolRiver gauge, Ohio River	12.75 ft	Normal	−0.23 ft	15 mi
Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Upper)River gauge, Ohio River	12.41 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	0.1 mi
Ohio River at Pike Island Dam near Wheeling (Upper)River gauge, Ohio River	13.25 ft	No reference yet	+0.85 ft	26 mi
Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower)River gauge, Ohio River	14.99 ft	Below flood stage	+0.22 ft	26 mi
Ohio River at WheelingRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.93 ft	Below flood stage	+0.17 ft	33 mi
Ohio River at Hannibal Lock and Dam (Upper)River gauge, Ohio River	13.23 ft	No reference yet	−0.15 ft	61 mi
Ohio River at Hannibal Lock and Dam (Lower)River gauge, Ohio River	12.87 ft	Below flood stage	−0.38 ft	61 mi
Ohio River above SardisRiver gauge, Ohio River	25,800 cfs	High	+25,292 cfs	63 mi
Ohio River at MariettaRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	89 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yellow Creek near Hammondsville OHRiver gauge, Yellow Creek	41.0 cfs	Normal	−6.1 cfs	5.3 mi
Kings Creek at WeirtonRiver gauge, Kings Creek	40.4 cfs	High	−8.1 cfs	7 mi
Little Beaver Creek near East Liverpool OHRiver gauge, Little Beaver Creek	203 cfs	Normal	−30.0 cfs	11 mi
Raccoon Creek at Moffatts MillRiver gauge, Raccoon Creek	2.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	17 mi
Ohio River (lower pool) at SewickleyRiver gauge, Ohio River (lower pool)	13.46 ft	Normal	−0.15 ft	22 mi
Beaver River at Beaver FallsRiver gauge, Beaver River	5.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	23 mi
Short Creek near Dillonvale OHRiver gauge, Short Creek	1.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	24 mi
North Fork McGuire Creek near Carrollton OHRiver gauge, North Fork McGuire Creek	2.00 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	26 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower)?

The official flood stage is 36.00 ft. The level is currently 21.98 ft below it.

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 Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower) today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT, the water level was 14.02 ft. Up 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower) rising or falling?

Up 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower) normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower)?

The highest level on record is 50.20 ft on December 31, 1942.

Is Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower) expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 12.70 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03110690 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.52812, -80.62563 (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	14.02 ft	2026-10-20 16:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower) (usgs:03110690). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/ohio-river-at-new-cumberland-lock-and-dam-lower

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