Broad River near Columbia water level

Name: Broad River near Columbia 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, Broad River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

154.06ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 PM EDT (33 min ago)

Flow: 725 cfs
Water temperature: 66 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The Broad River near Columbia is at 154.06 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.08 ft below the median of 154.14 ft for mid-October, based on 15 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 154.38 ft (−0.32 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 154.01 ft and 158.29 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 66 °F.

Compared with 15 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 154.14 ft0.08 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 152.98 ft – 154.82 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (15 years of records)
Same day last year: 154.38 ft−0.32 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 154.01 ft – 158.29 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 154.07 ft – 158.29 ft
Highest on record: 167.06 ftSeptember 30, 2024

Floating and fishing near Broad River near Columbia

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	167.06 ft	September 30, 2024
2	166.50 ft	October 4, 2015
3	159.05 ft	August 9, 2024
4	158.66 ft	May 11, 2024
5	157.72 ft	June 23, 2023
6	157.67 ft	December 13, 2024

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.27 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 77° 40° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 74° 46° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 77° 47° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 73° 53° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 71° 53° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 72° 50° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 76° 53° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:45 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Broad River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Broad River near Boiling SpringsRiver gauge, Broad River	2.48 ft	High	+0.35 ft	88 mi
Broad River near BlacksburgRiver gauge, Broad River	3.25 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	80 mi
Broad River below Ninetynine Island ReservoirRiver gauge, Broad River	26.28 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	72 mi
Broad River below Neal Shoals Reservoir near CarlisleRiver gauge, Broad River	4.15 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	48 mi
Broad River near CarlisleRiver gauge, Broad River	3.11 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	43 mi
Broad River near JenkinsvilleRiver gauge, Broad River	221.30 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	21 mi
Broad River at AlstonRiver gauge, Broad River	3.59 ft	Normal	±0	19 mi
Broad River near BeaufortRiver gauge, Broad River	2.57 ft	No reference yet	−1.28 ft	116 mi
Broad River above CarltonRiver gauge, Broad River	0.71 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	111 mi
Broad River near BellRiver gauge, Broad River	3.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	97 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Smith Branch at North Main St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Smith Branch	0.39 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	2.3 mi
Saluda River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River	3.26 ft	High	±0	2.5 mi
Congaree River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Congaree River	3.47 ft	Normal	±0	4.0 mi
Rocky Branch at Pickens St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Rocky Branch	2.67 ft	Low	±0	4.7 mi
Rocky Branch at Whaley St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Rocky Branch	1.10 ft	Normal	±0	5.0 mi
Pen Branch at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Pen Branch	0.63 ft	Normal	±0	5.8 mi
Gills Creek at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Gills Creek	0.91 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	7 mi
Saluda River below Lake Murray Dam near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River	5.76 ft	High	−0.01 ft	8 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Broad River near Columbia compare with last year?

It is 0.32 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 154.38 ft.

What is a normal level for the Broad River near Columbia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 154.14 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 152.98 ft and 154.82 ft, based on 15 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 Broad River near Columbia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 PM EDT, the water level was 154.06 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Broad River near Columbia rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 3.77 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Broad River near Columbia normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 15 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Broad River near Columbia?

The highest level on record is 167.06 ft on September 30, 2024.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02162035 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.04833, -81.07333 (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	154.06 ft	2026-10-20 19:00	Provisional
Flow	725 cfs	2026-10-20 19:00	Provisional
Water temperature	66 °F	2026-10-20 19:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Broad River near Columbia (usgs:02162035). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/broad-river-near-columbia

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