Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Upper Pool @ Emsworth water level

Name: Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Upper Pool @ Emsworth 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, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

16.66ft Up 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 10:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Low water at Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Upper Pool @ Emsworth: the gauge reads 16.66 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 16.84 ft, based on 9 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.18 ft below typical.

It is on the way up, by 0.16 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 15.99 ft – 17.11 ft.

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: 16.84 ft0.18 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 16.52 ft – 17.32 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 15.99 ft – 17.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 13.83 ft – 17.23 ft

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

What happens at each level

38.20 ft: Lock walls overtopped.
30.00 ft: Navigation suspended, lock out of service.
16.66 ft: Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.05 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 66° 33° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 65° 40° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 63° 39° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 65° 46° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 65° 47° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 65° 47° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 68° 49° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:34 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 65%

Map

Other gauges on the Ohio River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Lower Pool @ EmsworthRiver gauge, Ohio River	15.70 ft	Very high	+0.02 ft	0.2 mi
Ohio River at SewickleyRiver gauge, Ohio River	15.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	7 mi
Ohio River at Montgomery Lock & Dam, Lower PoolRiver gauge, Ohio River	13.08 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	19 mi
Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Upper)River gauge, Ohio River	12.58 ft	No reference yet	+0.26 ft	28 mi
Ohio River at New Cumberland Lock & Dam (Lower)River gauge, Ohio River	12.71 ft	Below flood stage	−1.15 ft	28 mi
Ohio River at Pike Island Dam near Wheeling (Upper)River gauge, Ohio River	11.99 ft	No reference yet	−0.76 ft	40 mi
Ohio River at Pike Island Lock & Dam (Lower)River gauge, Ohio River	14.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.82 ft	41 mi
Ohio River at WheelingRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	46 mi
Ohio River at Hannibal Lock and Dam (Upper)River gauge, Ohio River	13.23 ft	No reference yet	+0.28 ft	71 mi
Ohio River at Hannibal Lock and Dam (Lower)River gauge, Ohio River	13.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.53 ft	71 mi
Ohio River above SardisRiver gauge, Ohio River	39,700 cfs	Very high	+800 cfs	73 mi
Ohio River at MariettaRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.35 ft	105 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lowries Run at Camp Horne near EmsworthRiver gauge, Lowries Run	2.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	1.1 mi
Sawmill Run at Duquesne Heights near PittsburghRiver gauge, Sawmill Run	3.35 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	5.7 mi
Monongahela R at Point State Park at PittsburghRiver gauge, Monongahela R	16.83 ft	Below flood stage	+0.18 ft	5.9 mi
Girtys Run above Grant Avenue at MillvaleRiver gauge, Girtys Run	2.46 ft	Very high	−0.05 ft	6 mi
Ohio River (lower pool) at SewickleyRiver gauge, Ohio River (lower pool)	13.88 ft	Very high	+0.07 ft	7 mi
Chartiers Creek at CarnegieRiver gauge, Chartiers Creek	1.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	7 mi
Pine Creek at Grant Avenue at EtnaRiver gauge, Pine Creek	5.07 ft	Very high	−0.29 ft	7 mi
Little Pine Creek near EtnaRiver gauge, Little Pine Creek	2.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	8 mi

Questions and answers

What is a normal level for the Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Upper Pool @ Emsworth in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 16.84 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 16.52 ft and 17.32 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 Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Upper Pool @ Emsworth today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 10:45 PM EDT, the water level was 16.66 ft. Up 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Upper Pool @ Emsworth rising or falling?

Up 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Upper Pool @ Emsworth normal?

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

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03085730 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.50389, -80.08556 (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	16.66 ft	2026-10-20 02:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Ohio River at Emsworth Dam Upper Pool @ Emsworth (usgs:03085730). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/ohio-river-at-emsworth-dam-upper-pool-emsworth

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