Clinch River above Tazewell water level

Name: Clinch River above Tazewell 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, Clinch River, Tennessee, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.54ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 PM EDT (58 min ago)

Flow: 683 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:44 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Clinch River above Tazewell reads 1.54 ft, a normal level.

It is 10.46 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 PM. There is still 10.46 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.50 ft and 2.00 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 29.32 ftApril 5, 1977
Forecast peak: 1.50 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM

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 12.00 ft, still 10.46 ft away.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: A few structures along the river flood. Backwater moving upstream begins to affect the town of Sneedville, Hancock County, Tennessee. The city of Tazewell, Tennessee is not affected by flooding of the Clinch River.
18.90 ft: By the time the river reaches Hwy 25E, it may be interacting with the pool of Norris Lake. For example, a stage of 18.9 at the stream gage on 02/17/2025 left flood debris on low spots of Riverside Road downstream from Hwy 25E. Thus the stage there is affected by the river and the lake pools.
16.00 ft: Extensive flooding of pasture land around Grissom Island occurs. Flooding likely of portions of roads such as River Bend Road, Grissom Island Lane, Pawpaw Road, and Porter Johns Road.
13.00 ft: The road within a quarter mile of the gage begins to flood.
12.00 ft: Flooding of pasture land near Grissom Island begins. The city of Tazewell, Tennessee is not affected by flooding of the Clinch River.
10.00 ft: Action stage.
1.54 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	29.32 ft	April 5, 1977
2	24.00 ft	February 1, 1962
3	22.27 ft	March 13, 1963
4	21.37 ft	March 19, 2002
5	21.02 ft	March 17, 1973
6	21.00 ft	January 31, 1957
7	20.57 ft	December 31, 1969
8	20.00 ft	December 23, 1926
9	19.32 ft	February 7, 2020
10	18.89 ft	February 17, 2025

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 57° 45° 0.03 in, 27% Wind 13 mph

18 Sun 67° 39° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 69° 42° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 71° 42° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 73° 44° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 72° 44° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 71° 42° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Clinch River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Clinch River at ClevelandRiver gauge, Clinch River	2.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	78 mi
Clinch River at Speers FerryRiver gauge, Clinch River	3.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	39 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Powell River near ArthurRiver gauge, Powell River	2.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	15 mi
Crockett Creek below RogersvilleRiver gauge, Crockett Creek	0.61 ft	Below flood stage	±0	20 mi
Martins Fork above SmithRiver gauge, Martins Fork	9.2 cfs	Normal	−1.0 cfs	22 mi
Powell River near JonesvilleRiver gauge, Powell River	1.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	23 mi
Martins Fork near SmithRiver gauge, Martins Fork	44.7 cfs	Normal	+0.6 cfs	24 mi
Nolichucky River near LowlandRiver gauge, Nolichucky River	7.16 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	24 mi
Big Creek near RogersvilleRiver gauge, Big Creek	1.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	25 mi
Cumberland River at Pine St Branch at PinevilleRiver gauge, Cumberland River	225 cfs	Normal	−17.0 cfs	28 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Clinch River above Tazewell?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.46 ft below it.

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 Clinch River above Tazewell today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 PM EDT, the water level was 1.54 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Clinch River above Tazewell rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.38 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Clinch River above Tazewell normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Clinch River above Tazewell?

The highest level on record is 29.32 ft on April 5, 1977.

Is Clinch River above Tazewell expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03528000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.42509, -83.39823 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	1.54 ft	2026-10-21 03:15	Provisional
Flow	683 cfs	2026-10-21 03:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Clinch River above Tazewell (usgs:03528000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/tennessee/clinch-river-above-tazewell

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