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Rocky Branch at Pickens St at Columbia water level

River gauge, Rocky Branch, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for late October

Water level

2.67ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
1.4 cfs
5 10 Highest onrecord 13.43 ft Minor floodstage 7.20 ft

History

History
2.83.03.2ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 212.83.03.2ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
3.03.5ftSep 22Sep 29Oct 6Oct 14Oct 213.03.5ftSep 22Oct 6Oct 21
3.03.5ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20263.03.5ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
3.03.5ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20263.03.5ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Rocky Branch at Pickens St at Columbia is running below normal at 2.67 ft.

The median for late October is 2.69 ft, based on 10 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.02 ft below typical. It is 4.53 ft below the flood stage of 7.20 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.71 ft, a difference of −0.04 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 2.66 ft and 3.30 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.69 ft0.02 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.66 ft – 2.76 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (10 years of records)
Same day last year
2.71 ft−0.04 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.66 ft – 3.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.65 ft – 3.23 ft
Highest on record
13.43 ftJuly 4, 2022

Floating and fishing near Rocky Branch at Pickens St at Columbia

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 7.20 ft, 4.53 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
113.43 ftJuly 4, 2022
210.55 ftMay 21, 2022
310.35 ftJune 16, 2022
49.90 ftJuly 24, 2024
59.66 ftJuly 16, 2021
69.11 ftJune 24, 2020
78.93 ftJuly 18, 2022
88.74 ftSeptember 26, 2024
98.71 ftMay 29, 2020
108.22 ftSeptember 26, 2024

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 74° 46° – Wind 9 mph
22 Thu 76° 47° – Wind 7 mph
23 Fri 73° 53° – Wind 10 mph
24 Sat 71° 52° – Wind 12 mph
25 Sun 72° 52° – Wind 13 mph
26 Mon 74° 52° – Wind 8 mph
27 Tue 75° 54° – Wind 2 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on Rocky Branch

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Rocky Branch at Whaley St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Rocky Branch 1.10 ft Normal ±0 0.6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Congaree River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Congaree River 3.48 ft Normal +0.02 ft 1.5 mi
Smith Branch at North Main St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Smith Branch 0.40 ft Very low +0.01 ft 2.5 mi
Gills Creek at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Gills Creek 0.89 ft Very low −0.02 ft 2.9 mi
Saluda River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River 3.26 ft Normal ±0 3.9 mi
Broad River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Broad River 154.09 ft Normal +0.02 ft 4.7 mi
Congaree Creek at South CongareeRiver gauge, Congaree Creek 2.72 ft Very low −0.02 ft 8 mi
Saluda River below Lake Murray Dam near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River 5.79 ft High +0.01 ft 11 mi
Twelve Mile Creek at LexingtonRiver gauge, Twelve Mile Creek 3.65 ft Normal −0.01 ft 12 mi

Questions and answers

Is Rocky Branch at Pickens St at Columbia higher than last year?

No, it is 0.04 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.71 ft.

What is flood stage for Rocky Branch at Pickens St at Columbia?

The official flood stage is 7.20 ft. The level is currently 4.53 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Rocky Branch at Pickens St at Columbia in late October?

The median for late October is 2.69 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.66 ft and 2.76 ft, based on 10 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 Rocky Branch at Pickens St at Columbia today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 04:15 AM EDT, the water level was 2.67 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rocky Branch at Pickens St at Columbia rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Rocky Branch at Pickens St at Columbia normal?

Low for late October. Compared with 10 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:02169505 (Agency page)
Coordinates
33.99488, -81.02370 (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 2.67 ft 2026-10-21 08:15 Provisional
Flow 1.4 cfs 2026-10-21 08:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rocky Branch at Pickens St at Columbia (usgs:02169505). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/rocky-branch-at-pickens-st-at-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.