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Cooper River at Ports Authority Pier K Charleston water level

Tidal gauge, Cooper River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Very high for late October

Water level

15.77ft Up 0.50 ft over the last 24 hours

Water temperature
71 °F
13 14 15

History

121416ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 21121416ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
121416ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 14Oct 21121416ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
1214ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20261214ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
1214ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20261214ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

High water at Cooper River at Ports Authority Pier K Charleston: the latest reading is 15.77 ft, well above normal for late October.

That puts it 2.74 ft above the median of 13.04 ft for late October, based on 10 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 13.34 ft (+2.43 ft).

It is on the way up, by 0.50 ft over the past 24 hours. If the rise continues, low-lying paths and riverside parking can go under water. The 30-day range is 10.88 ft – 15.85 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 71 °F.

Compared with 10 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
13.04 ft2.74 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
12.54 ft – 13.30 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (10 years of records)
Same day last year
13.34 ft+2.43 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
10.88 ft – 15.85 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
11.32 ft – 14.27 ft

Staying safe in high water

Flood stage is only the first threshold. Above it the National Weather Service sets moderate and major flood stages, and the forecast crest tells you which of those the river is expected to reach.

Upstream gauges on the same river usually show a rise first, which is a useful early warning.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 72° 48° – Wind 9 mph
22 Thu 73° 45° – Wind 9 mph
23 Fri 73° 55° – Wind 11 mph
24 Sat 73° 56° – Wind 15 mph
25 Sun 74° 56° – Wind 15 mph
26 Mon 76° 56° – Wind 10 mph
27 Tue 77° 57° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the Cooper River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cooper River above Goose CreekTidal gauge, Cooper River 9.81 ft Very high +0.06 ft 11 mi
Cooper River near Goose CreekTidal gauge, Cooper River 18.55 ft Very high +0.11 ft 14 mi
Cooper River at Mobay near N CharlestonTidal gauge, Cooper River 10.81 ft Very high +0.49 ft 9 mi
Cooper River at Filbin Creek at North CharlestonTidal gauge, Cooper River 14.10 ft Very high +1.42 ft 2.5 mi
Cooper River at U.s. Highway 17 at CharlestonTidal gauge, Cooper River 9.85 ft Very high +0.72 ft 4.4 mi
Cooper River at S. Adgers Wharf at CharlestonRiver gauge, Cooper River 21.11 ft No reference yet +0.87 ft 5.8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Wando River above Mount PleasantTidal gauge, Wando River 21.57 ft Very high +0.63 ft 3.3 mi
Ashley River near North CharlestonTidal gauge, Ashley River 12.18 ft Very high +0.66 ft 4.4 mi
Wando River at Cainhoy below WandoTidal gauge, Wando River 15.80 ft Very high +0.36 ft 9 mi
Ashley River below SummervilleTidal gauge, Ashley River 11.68 ft Very high ±0 13 mi
French Quarter Creek near HugerRiver gauge, French Quarter Creek 8.62 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 13 mi
Back River at Dupont Intake near KittredgeTidal gauge, Back River 17.53 ft Very high −0.01 ft 14 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Cooper River at Ports Authority Pier K Charleston compare with last year?

It is 2.43 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 13.34 ft.

What is a normal level for the Cooper River at Ports Authority Pier K Charleston in late October?

The median for late October is 13.04 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 12.54 ft and 13.30 ft, based on 10 years of records.

What is the water level of Cooper River at Ports Authority Pier K Charleston today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT, the water level was 15.77 ft. Up 0.50 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cooper River at Ports Authority Pier K Charleston rising or falling?

Up 0.50 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 2.64 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cooper River at Ports Authority Pier K Charleston normal?

Very high for late October. Compared with 10 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:0217206935 (Agency page)
Coordinates
32.85569, -79.95267 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 15.77 ft 2026-10-21 09:00 Provisional
Water temperature 71 °F 2026-10-21 09:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cooper River at Ports Authority Pier K Charleston (usgs:0217206935). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/cooper-river-at-ports-authority-pier-k-charleston

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