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Lawsons Fork Creek at Spartanburg water level

River gauge, Lawsons Fork Creek, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.56ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
43.6 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 15.14 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

History
45ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 2145ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
51015ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 13Oct 21Minor flood stage51015ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21Minor flood stage
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage51015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
35810ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202635810ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Lawsons Fork Creek at Spartanburg reads 3.56 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.16 ft below the median of 3.72 ft for mid-October, based on 14 years of readings. It is 11.44 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.23 ft (+0.33 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.98 ft and 11.31 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 14 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.72 ft0.16 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.22 ft – 4.41 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (14 years of records)
Same day last year
3.23 ft+0.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.98 ft – 11.31 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.92 ft – 11.31 ft
Highest on record
15.14 ftFebruary 7, 2020

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 15.00 ft, still 11.44 ft away.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft
APPROX HEIGHT OF BOTTOM OF LAKE FOREST DR BRIDGE
15.50 ft
PARTS OF LAKE FOREST ROAD WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD ON EITHER SIDE OF BRIDGE OVER LAWSONS FORK CREEK. ONE PRIVATE ROAD TO A HOME WILL ALL SO BE FLOODED.
15.00 ft
WATER WILL BEGIN TO COVER PARTS OF HEATHWOOD DRIVE AND LAKE FOREST ROAD.
12.50 ft
WATER WILL APPROACH A PRIVATE DRIVEWAY NORTHEAST OF THE RIVER AND PARTS OF HEATHWOOD DRIVE
12.00 ft
Action/Advisory Stage. Lawsons Fork Creek is out of its banks and causing nuisance flooding of adjacent low-lying areas from US 221 to Goldmine Rd. near the Pacolet River confluence.
3.56 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
115.14 ftFebruary 7, 2020
214.23 ftMay 6, 2013
313.76 ftOctober 1, 2015
413.63 ftDecember 30, 2015
513.56 ftAugust 1, 2014
613.18 ftDecember 24, 2015
713.02 ftNovember 3, 2015
813.00 ftJanuary 18, 2013
912.79 ftDecember 26, 2012
1011.22 ftJuly 17, 2016

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 75° 39° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 73° 45° – Wind 6 mph
22 Thu 76° 44° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 71° 51° – Wind 8 mph
24 Sat 68° 48° – Wind 10 mph
25 Sun 68° 48° – Wind 10 mph
26 Mon 72° 48° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Pacolet River at Us-29 near ConverseRiver gauge, Pacolet River 1.83 ft Normal −0.06 ft 3.7 mi
Pacolet River below Lake Blalock near CowpensRiver gauge, Pacolet River 2.03 ft Normal −0.05 ft 7 mi
Pacolet River at PacoletRiver gauge, Pacolet River 9.29 ft Very low −0.25 ft 7 mi
North Tyger River near FairmontRiver gauge, North Tyger River 10.1 cfs Very low ±0 10 mi
North Tyger River below WellfordRiver gauge, North Tyger River 5.75 ft High −0.01 ft 11 mi
Thicketty Creek at Cnty Road 42 near GaffneyRiver gauge, Thicketty Creek 3.02 ft Normal −0.03 ft 12 mi
North Tyger River at WellfordRiver gauge, North Tyger River 7.7 cfs Very low +1.3 cfs 12 mi
Pacolet River near FingervilleRiver gauge, Pacolet River 6.72 ft High −0.06 ft 12 mi

Questions and answers

How does Lawsons Fork Creek at Spartanburg compare with last year?

It is 0.33 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.23 ft.

What is flood stage for Lawsons Fork Creek at Spartanburg?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 11.44 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Lawsons Fork Creek at Spartanburg in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.72 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.22 ft and 4.41 ft, based on 14 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 Lawsons Fork Creek at Spartanburg today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 09:15 PM EDT, the water level was 3.56 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lawsons Fork Creek at Spartanburg rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.48 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lawsons Fork Creek at Spartanburg normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 14 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:02156300 (Agency page)
Coordinates
34.94901, -81.86792 (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 3.56 ft 2026-10-21 01:15 Provisional
Flow 43.6 cfs 2026-10-21 01:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lawsons Fork Creek at Spartanburg (usgs:02156300). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/lawsons-fork-creek-at-spartanburg

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.