Catawba River below Catawba water level

Name: Catawba River below Catawba 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, Catawba River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

7.92ft Up 0.83 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 6,840 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 Catawba River below Catawba shows 7.92 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 5.77 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 2.15 ft above typical. It is 15.08 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 5.58 ft, a difference of +2.34 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.83 ft over the past 24 hours. If the rise continues, low-lying paths and riverside parking can go under water. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.10 ft and 10.70 ft.

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

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.77 ft2.15 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.99 ft – 7.38 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.58 ft+2.34 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.10 ft – 10.70 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 5.02 ft – 10.70 ft
Highest on record: 24.66 ftFebruary 8, 2020

High water at Catawba River below Catawba

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

55.00 ft: Record, Major Flooding continues. Flooding of the Resolute Forest Products plant and the water treatment plant may be imminent, possibly requiring evacuation and closure.
30.00 ft: Major Flood Stage. The USGS gaging station is entirely submerged by floodwaters. Significant impacts to operations at the Resolute Forest Product plant and the water treatment plant may be ongoing. Significant and dangerous flooding of Landsford Canal State Park is likely.
27.00 ft: Moderate Flood Stage. The USGS gaging station is no longer able to measure stage. This may be impacting operations at the adjacent Resolute Forest Products plant and the water treatment plant. Significant flooding of Landsford Canal State Park is ongoing and the public is advised to avoid the area.
23.00 ft: Minor Flood Stage. More significant flooding of adjacent wooded areas is beginning. Impacts may be observed at Landsford Canal State Park.
20.00 ft: Action/Advisory Stage. Adjacent flooding of low-lying woodlands is beginning.
7.92 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.66 ft	February 8, 2020
2	24.33 ft	October 2, 1990
3	23.81 ft	October 9, 1977
4	22.70 ft	June 10, 2019
5	22.69 ft	April 11, 2003
6	22.43 ft	March 21, 2003
7	21.76 ft	March 15, 1975
8	21.69 ft	December 31, 2015
9	20.86 ft	March 25, 1993
10	20.29 ft	September 11, 2004

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 67° 41° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 74° 39° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 72° 45° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 74° 48° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 71° 47° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 67° 47° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 69° 46° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on the Catawba River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Catawba River near Pleasant GardensRiver gauge, Catawba River	1.85 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	89 mi
Catawba River at Sr1223 below Lake James near BridgewaterRiver gauge, Catawba River	4.07 ft	High	−1.64 ft	83 mi
Catawba River at RhodhissRiver gauge, Catawba River	11.07 ft	Normal	−0.19 ft	72 mi
Catawba River at Nc Highway 16 near MillersvilleRiver gauge, Catawba River	6.66 ft	High	+2.30 ft	70 mi
Catawba River below Lookout Shoals Dam near SharonRiver gauge, Catawba River	11.23 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	65 mi
Catawba River at Rr Bridge above NC 73 at Cowans FordRiver gauge, Catawba River	3.18 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	41 mi
Catawba River below Lake Wylie Dam Fewell IslandRiver gauge, Catawba River	6.02 ft	No reference yet	+0.03 ft	14 mi
Catawba River near Rock HillRiver gauge, Catawba River	3.73 ft	Normal	+0.11 ft	12 mi
Catawba River at Great FallsRiver gauge, Catawba River	353.39 ft	Normal	−0.61 ft	16 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Manchester Creek at Rock HillRiver gauge, Manchester Creek	1.43 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	9 mi
Wildcat Creek below Rock HillRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek	2.08 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	11 mi
Sugar Creek near Fort MillRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	4.06 ft	Very low	−0.06 ft	12 mi
Six Mile Creek near PinevilleRiver gauge, Six Mile Creek	3.17 ft	High	+0.01 ft	12 mi
Big Dutchman Creek at Rock HillRiver gauge, Big Dutchman Creek	1.02 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Fishing Creek below Fort LawnRiver gauge, Fishing Creek	14.0 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	14 mi
McAlpine Creek at Sr2964 near Camp CoxRiver gauge, McAlpine Creek	−0.26 ft	Very low	−0.16 ft	14 mi
Tools Fork Creek near Rock HillRiver gauge, Tools Fork Creek	1.94 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	15 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Catawba River below Catawba higher than last year?

Yes, it is 2.34 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.58 ft.

What is flood stage for the Catawba River below Catawba?

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 15.08 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Catawba River below Catawba in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.77 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.99 ft and 7.38 ft, based on 33 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 Catawba River below Catawba today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 AM EDT, the water level was 7.92 ft. Up 0.83 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Catawba River below Catawba rising or falling?

Up 0.83 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 2.61 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Catawba River below Catawba normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 33 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:02147020 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.83626, -80.87952 (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	7.92 ft	2026-10-20 07:00	Provisional
Flow	6,840 cfs	2026-10-20 07:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Catawba River below Catawba (usgs:02147020). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/catawba-river-below-catawba

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