South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OH water level

Name: South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OH 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, South Fork Licking River, Ohio, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

871.61ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 16, 2026, 10:45 AM EDT (4 days ago)

History

Not enough readings for a chart yet. History builds up with every update.

The forecast expects the river to fall to 871.50 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 01:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 08:49 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OH shows 871.61 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.31 ft above the median of 871.30 ft for mid-October, based on 9 years of readings. It is 8.39 ft below the flood stage of 880.00 ft. The record high is 882.89 ft, set on March 21, 2020.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 871.50 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 01:00 PM.

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 871.30 ft0.31 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 871.09 ft – 871.35 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Highest on record: 882.89 ftMarch 21, 2020
Forecast peak: 871.60 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

High water at South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OH

The National Weather Service splits flooding into minor, moderate and major flood stage, each tied to what starts to go under water at this particular gauge. Minor flooding usually means low roads, parks and farmland; major flooding reaches homes and businesses.

Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.

What happens at each level

884.50 ft: This is about the FEMA 1 percent flood. Numerous homes and businesses are flooded near the river channel, especially along and west of route 79. Interstate 70 is covered by water as deep as 2 feet in areas between Route 79 and Route 37.
884.00 ft: Widespread major flooding occurs in communities of Buckeye lake near the river channel, generally along and west of route 79. Interstate 70 is completely covered in water by a foot or more between route 79 and route 37.
883.00 ft: Both eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 70 are closed from flooding, with over a foot of water likely on both eastbound and westbound lanes. Significant flooding of the KOA campground occurs, as well as Buckeye Lake Estates and other homes and businesses near the river channel in the village of Buckeye Lake.
881.70 ft: Both eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 70 are likely flooded, which may result in complete shutdown of the interstate, detouring highway traffic through communities near Ohio Routes 13, 40 and 37. Significant flooding of the KOA campground occurs, as well as Buckeye Lake Estates and other homes and businesses near the river channel in the village of Buckeye Lake.
881.50 ft: Water covers eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 near route 79, likely shutting down eastbound interstate traffic. Detours may be set up in the region. Water surrounds homes in Buckeye Lake estates, with much of the KOA campground flooded.
881.30 ft: Water begins to spill onto eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 in the area of Exit 129 near Buckeye Lake. The KOA campground floods, as well as Buckeye Lake Estates.
881.00 ft: The Route 79 eastbound exit is likely closed due to high water, with water also encroaching onto the edge of eastbound outer lane of Interstate 70. Flooding also affects the KOA campground and the village of Buckeye Lake.
880.50 ft: Water extends onto the 129A exit ramp from eastbound Interstate 70 to Route 79 near Buckeye Lake. Widespread flooding occurs through Buckeye Lake Estates.
880.00 ft: Water nearly extends onto the 129A exit ramp from eastbound Interstate 70 to Route 79 near Buckeye Lake. Floodingalso affects Buckeye Lake Estates.
879.00 ft: Water would approach the 129A exit ramp from eastbound Interstate 70 to Route 79 near Buckeye Lake.
871.61 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	882.89 ft	March 21, 2020
2	882.82 ft	August 21, 2026
3	881.82 ft	July 14, 2017
4	881.37 ft	April 3, 2024
5	880.86 ft	August 17, 2026
6	880.63 ft	May 7, 2022
7	880.45 ft	February 18, 2022
8	880.44 ft	May 20, 2020
9	880.06 ft	February 20, 2026
10	879.50 ft	December 22, 2013

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 67° 37° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 67° 40° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 65° 41° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 66° 44° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 68° 43° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 69° 46° – Wind 7 mph

26 Mon 69° 51° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:45 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the South Fork Licking River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Licking River at Kirkersville OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	11.0 cfs	High	−1.4 cfs	5.8 mi
South Fork Licking River near Hebron OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	2.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	3.2 mi
South Fork Licking River at Heath OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	5.03 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	8 mi
South Fork Licking River at CynthianaRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	5.00 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	145 mi
South Fork Licking River at HayesRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	120 cfs	Normal	−11.0 cfs	133 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Raccoon Cr. below Wilson Street at Newark OHRiver gauge, Raccoon Cr.	5.26 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	9 mi
Raccoon Creek near Granville OHRiver gauge, Raccoon Creek	2.97 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
North Fork Licking River at Ohio Street, Newark OHRiver gauge, North Fork Licking River	3.42 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	9 mi
N. Fk. Licking River at E. Main St. at Newark OHRiver gauge, N. Fk. Licking River	2.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	9 mi
North Fork Licking River at Newark OHRiver gauge, North Fork Licking River	0.35 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Licking River near Newark OHRiver gauge, Licking River	3.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	11 mi
Blacklick Creek near Pickerington OHRiver gauge, Blacklick Creek	9.3 cfs	Normal	−8.6 cfs	16 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OH?

The official flood stage is 880.00 ft. The level is currently 8.39 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OH in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 871.30 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 871.09 ft and 871.35 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 South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OH today?

On Oct 16, 2026, 10:45 AM EDT, the water level was 871.61 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OH rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OH normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OH?

The highest level on record is 882.89 ft on March 21, 2020.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03144950 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.94417, -82.49139 (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	871.61 ft	2026-10-16 14:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OH (usgs:03144950). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/south-fork-licking-river-near-buckeye-lake-oh

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