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Cooper River at U.s. Highway 17 at Charleston water level

Tidal gauge, Cooper River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Very high for late October

Water level

9.85ft Up 0.72 ft over the last 24 hours

Water temperature
71 °F
6 8 9 10

History

6810ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 216810ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
6810ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 14Oct 216810ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
5678ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20265678ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
5678ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20265678ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The gauge at Cooper River at U.s. Highway 17 at Charleston shows 9.85 ft, well above normal for late October.

The median for late October is 6.89 ft, based on 27 years of readings, so the water level is 2.96 ft above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 7.39 ft, a difference of +2.46 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.72 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 4.91 ft and 9.99 ft.

The water temperature at the gauge is 71 °F.

Compared with 27 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
6.89 ft2.96 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
6.02 ft – 7.26 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (27 years of records)
Same day last year
7.39 ft+2.46 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.91 ft – 9.99 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
5.41 ft – 8.33 ft

High water at Cooper River at U.s. Highway 17 at Charleston

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.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 71° 48° – Wind 10 mph
22 Thu 72° 47° – Wind 8 mph
23 Fri 70° 57° – Wind 15 mph
24 Sat 71° 57° – Wind 20 mph
25 Sun 73° 57° – Wind 19 mph
26 Mon 72° 58° – Wind 14 mph
27 Tue 72° 58° – 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 15 mi
Cooper River near Goose CreekTidal gauge, Cooper River 18.22 ft Very high +0.01 ft 18 mi
Cooper River at Mobay near N CharlestonTidal gauge, Cooper River 10.60 ft Very high +0.23 ft 13 mi
Cooper River at Filbin Creek at North CharlestonTidal gauge, Cooper River 14.03 ft Very high +0.64 ft 7 mi
Cooper River at Ports Authority Pier K CharlestonTidal gauge, Cooper River 15.77 ft Very high +0.50 ft 4.4 mi
Cooper River at S. Adgers Wharf at CharlestonRiver gauge, Cooper River 21.52 ft No reference yet +0.64 ft 2.1 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 4.0 mi
Ashley River near North CharlestonTidal gauge, Ashley River 12.18 ft Very high +0.66 ft 7 mi
Wando River at Cainhoy below WandoTidal gauge, Wando River 15.80 ft Very high +0.36 ft 10 mi
French Quarter Creek near HugerRiver gauge, French Quarter Creek 8.34 ft Below flood stage −0.07 ft 16 mi
Ashley River below SummervilleTidal gauge, Ashley River 11.34 ft Very high −0.29 ft 16 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Cooper River at U.s. Highway 17 at Charleston higher than last year?

Yes, it is 2.46 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.39 ft.

What is a normal level for the Cooper River at U.s. Highway 17 at Charleston in late October?

The median for late October is 6.89 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.02 ft and 7.26 ft, based on 27 years of records.

What is the water level of Cooper River at U.s. Highway 17 at Charleston today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT, the water level was 9.85 ft. Up 0.72 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cooper River at U.s. Highway 17 at Charleston rising or falling?

Up 0.72 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 2.72 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cooper River at U.s. Highway 17 at Charleston normal?

Very high for late October. Compared with 27 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:021720709 (Agency page)
Coordinates
32.80240, -79.91009 (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 9.85 ft 2026-10-21 09:15 Provisional
Water temperature 71 °F 2026-10-21 09:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cooper River at U.s. Highway 17 at Charleston (usgs:021720709). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/cooper-river-at-u-s-highway-17-at-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