Calfkiller River at Highway 70 at Sparta water level

Name: Calfkiller River at Highway 70 at Sparta 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, Calfkiller River, Tennessee, United States

Directions

Latest reading

Water level

2.88ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 25.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The U.S. Geological Survey has the Calfkiller River at Highway 70 at Sparta at 2.88 ft. The agency publishes no normal range or warning level for this river yet, so there is nothing to judge the number against.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.87 ft – 2.93 ft.

The agency publishes no normal range for this gauge yet, so we show the trend only. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 20.16 ftMarch 28, 2021

Paddling and fishing conditions

Compare today with the chart before you go; local outfitters often know which stage suits their stretch.

What happens at each level

36.00 ft: Widespread flooding continues to impact roads, properties, and structures along the river. This includes N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84), Milligan Rd, Blue Springs Rd, Mayberry St at Town Creek, Walnut Dr at S Church St, N Carter St, S Carter St, S Fork Rd, and Doran Rd at Charlie Hickey Rd. Impacted properties and structures include Mayberry St, S Carter St, Riverside Dr, W Everett St, W Bronson St, S Fork Rd, Brock Rd, N Carter St, and auto dealership property on Auto Ln.
34.00 ft: Widespread flooding is impacting many roads, properties, and structures along the river. This includes N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84), Milligan Rd, Blue Springs Rd, Mayberry St at Town Creek, the intersection of Walnut Dr at S Church St, N Carter St, S Carter St, S Fork Rd, and Doran Rd at Charlie Hickey Rd. Impacted properties include Mayberry St, S Carter St, Riverside Dr, W Everett St, W Bronson St, S Fork Rd, Brock Rd, N Carter St, and auto dealership property on Auto Ln.
32.00 ft: Major flooding continues to impact area roads including N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84), Milligan Rd, Blue Springs Rd, Mayberry St at Town Creek, the intersection of Walnut Dr and S Church St, N Carter St, and S Carter St. Properties and structures are impacted on Mayberry St, S Carter St, Riverside Dr, W Everett St, the Sparta Water Plant on W Bronson St, S Fork Rd, Brock Rd, N Carter St, and auto dealership property on Auto Ln adjacent to Town Creek.
30.00 ft: Major flooding continues to impact area roads including N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84), Milligan Rd, Blue Springs Rd, Mayberry St at Town Creek, the intersection of Walnut Dr and S Church St, N Carter St, and S Carter St. Properties and structures are impacted on Mayberry St, S Carter St, Riverside Dr, W Everett St, the Sparta Water Plant on W Bronson St, S Fork Rd, Brock Rd, and N Carter St. Water approaches auto dealership property on Auto Ln adjacent to Town Creek.
28.00 ft: Major flooding continues, impacting area roads including N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84), most of Milligan Rd between Charlie Hickey Rd and Blue Springs Rd is flooded, Blue Springs Rd east of Sugar Camp Rd, Mayberry St at Town Creek, the intersection of Walnut Dr and S Church St, N Carter St, and S Carter St. Properties and structures are impacted on Mayberry St, S Carter St, Riverside Dr, W Everett St, the Sparta Water Plant on W Bronson St, S Fork Rd, Brock Rd, and N Carter St.
26.00 ft: Major flooding is impacting area roads including N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84), most of Milligan Rd between Charlie Hickey Rd and Blue Springs Rd is flooded, Blue Springs Rd east of Sugar Camp Rd, Mayberry St at Town Creek, the intersection of Walnut Dr and S Church St, and N Carter St which may be impassable at higher levels. Properties and structures are impacted on Mayberry St, S Carter St, Riverside Dr, W Everett St, and the Sparta Water Plant on W Bronson St.
24.00 ft: Significant flooding continues to impact area roads including N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84), Milligan Rd, Blue Springs Rd, and Mayberry St. South Carter Street River Park, Riverside Park, and the S Church St boat launch parking area are flooded. Structures on Mayberry St at Town Creek, and S Carter St including the city transfer station are impacted, and water reaches properties on Riverside Dr, W Everett St, and the Sparta Water Plant on W Bronson St.
22.00 ft: Significant flooding is impacting area roads including N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84), Milligan Rd near Charlie Hickey Rd, Blue Springs Rd between Sugar Camp Rd and Wildcat Cove Rd, and Mayberry St at Town Creek. South Carter Street River Park, Riverside Park, and the S Church St boat launch parking area are flooded, as well as buildings on Mayberry St at Town Creek. Water also continues to impact properties on S Carter St including the city transfer station.
20.00 ft: Flooding continues to impact area roads including N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84) between Swindell St and Blue Springs Rd, Milligan Rd near Charlie Hickey Rd, and Blue Springs Rd between Sugar Camp Rd and Wildcat Cove Rd. Other areas being impacted include South Carter Street River Park, Riverside Park, the S Church St boat launch parking area, and buildings on Mayberry St at Town Creek. Water begins to impact properties on S Carter St including the city transfer station.
18.00 ft: Flooding is occurring along the Calfkiller River, impacting many roads including N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84) between Swindell St and Blue Springs Rd, Milligan Rd near Charlie Hickey Rd, and Blue Springs Rd between Sugar Camp Rd and Wildcat Cove Rd. Areas along the river are also being impacted including South Carter Street River Park and Riverside Park, and the S Church St boat launch parking area. Water is also backing up Town Creek and approaches properties on Mayberry St.
16.00 ft: Water continues to inundate low lying areas along the Calfkiller River, including South Carter Street River Park and Riverside Park, and N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84) between Swindell St and Blue Springs Rd which may be impassable. Water approaches the S Church St boat launch parking area, Milligan Rd near Charlie Hickey Rd, and Blue Springs Rd between Sugar Camp Rd and Wildcat Cove Rd, which may be flooded at higher levels.
14.00 ft: Low lying areas along the Calfkiller River begin to be inundated, including N Main St / Monterrey Hwy (TN-84) between Swindell St and Blue Springs Rd, and South Carter Street River Park and Riverside Park. Water begins to impact the S Church St boat launch area.
2.88 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.16 ft	March 28, 2021
2	19.88 ft	February 3, 2020
3	16.80 ft	February 21, 2019
4	16.32 ft	November 7, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 74° 42° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 76° 48° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 73° 48° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 75° 49° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 74° 50° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 72° 49° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 72° 52° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:54 AM Sunset 07:01 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Falling Water River near CookevilleRiver gauge, Falling Water River	16.6 cfs	Normal	−1.7 cfs	11 mi
Collins River near McMinnvilleRiver gauge, Collins River	72.5 cfs	Very low	−1.5 cfs	21 mi
Basses Creek at Lake Tansi near CrossvilleRiver gauge, Basses Creek	3.1 cfs	Normal	±0	24 mi
Smith Fork at Temperance HallRiver gauge, Smith Fork	10.0 cfs	Very low	±0	27 mi
Roaring River near HilhamRiver gauge, Roaring River	7.0 cfs	Low	±0	29 mi
Obed River at Adams Bridge near CrossvilleRiver gauge, Obed River	13.9 cfs	Normal	±0	30 mi
Daddys Creek near HebbertsburgRiver gauge, Daddys Creek	12.9 cfs	Normal	−1.8 cfs	36 mi
West Fork Obey River near AlpineRiver gauge, West Fork Obey River	4.3 cfs	Low	±0	36 mi

Questions and answers

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 Calfkiller River at Highway 70 at Sparta today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT, the water level was 2.88 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Calfkiller River at Highway 70 at Sparta rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Calfkiller River at Highway 70 at Sparta normal?

The agency publishes no normal range for this gauge yet, so we show the trend only.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Calfkiller River at Highway 70 at Sparta?

The highest level on record is 20.16 ft on March 28, 2021.

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:03419530 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.92650, -85.46743 (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	2.88 ft	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional
Flow	25.4 cfs	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/16098?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Calfkiller River at Highway 70 at Sparta water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Calfkiller River at Highway 70 at Sparta (usgs:03419530). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/tennessee/calfkiller-river-at-highway-70-at-sparta

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