Elk River above Fayetteville water level

Name: Elk River above Fayetteville 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, Elk River, Tennessee, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.42ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 255 cfs
Water temperature: 57 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 07:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 08:45 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Elk River above Fayetteville reads 1.42 ft, a normal level.

It is 16.08 ft below the flood stage of 17.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 07:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.42 ft and 1.49 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 57 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 29.52 ftDecember 23, 1990
Forecast peak: 5.00 ftThursday, October 22 at 07:00 AM

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 17.50 ft, still 16.08 ft away.

What happens at each level

29.52 ft: Flood of Record occurred Dedcember 23, 1990.
29.00 ft: Widespread significant flooding is ongoing at the gage and throughout much of Fayetteville. The main bridge on Highway 231 is underwater and businesses on the South side of the bridge are impacted with multiple feet of water affecting them. Thorton Taylor Parkway is also underwater at this time and likely impassable between Highway 231 and Eldad Road intersections.
26.00 ft: Several businesses and homes are flooded along Norris Creek on the East side of town, along with any streets that intersect Norris Street inundated with 1 to 2 feet of water. On the West side of town, backwater flooding is likely ongoing on Cane Creek, with portions of Highway 64 likely underwater near the intersection of Morgan Bend Road.
24.00 ft: Eldad Road becomes impassable with at least a foot of water covering it between Barley Drive and the Eldad Road bridge itself. Portions of Grisham Road are also covered less than half a mile from the intersection with Eldad Road. In and around Fayetteville, floodwaters have caused portions of Highway 273 to become impassable and is likely closed.
23.00 ft: Floodwaters cover portions of Eldad Road South of Rambo Road. Floodwaters also approach the South side of Grisham Road immediately North of the River gage. In and around Fayetteville, flood waters cover portions of Highway 273 and it will become impassable shortly.
22.00 ft: Floodwaters begin to cover Eldad Road north of Barley Drive approaching the bend in the road traveling toward the Eldad Road bridge itself.
17.50 ft: Bottomland along the river begins to flood, spreading across fields on both sides of the river. Just south of Rambo Road, floodwaters begin to pool by the bend in the road band again further south closer to Old Limestone Road.
14.00 ft: The Elk River reaches bankfull, with any additional water spilling into neighboring fields along the river and causing lowland/nuisance flooding on the banks of the river upstream of Fayetteville.
1.42 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	29.52 ft	December 23, 1990
2	28.60 ft	March 16, 1973
3	27.50 ft	March 13, 1842
4	27.20 ft	March 12, 1963
5	27.20 ft	March 23, 1929
6	27.20 ft	January 5, 1949
7	26.70 ft	February 3, 1957
8	24.21 ft	February 6, 2020
9	24.17 ft	February 24, 2019
10	24.00 ft	February 20, 1991

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 64° 47° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 70° 40° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 69° 43° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 73° 46° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 75° 47° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 75° 49° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 75° 48° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:58 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Other gauges on the Elk River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elk River near PelhamRiver gauge, Elk River	3.03 ft	High	±0	39 mi
Elk River at ProspectRiver gauge, Elk River	0.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	27 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hester Creek at Buddy Williamson Road near PlevnaRiver gauge, Hester Creek	1.64 ft	Low	±0	13 mi
Duck River near ShelbyvilleRiver gauge, Duck River	2.64 ft	Very low	±0	24 mi
Duck River at ShelbyvilleRiver gauge, Duck River	178 cfs	Normal	±0	24 mi
Estill Fork at EstillforkRiver gauge, Estill Fork	4.54 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Flint River at BrownsboroRiver gauge, Flint River	7.22 ft	Normal	±0	27 mi
Duck River at Halls Mill BridgeRiver gauge, Duck River	190 cfs	Normal	+3.0 cfs	29 mi
Wartrace Creek below County Road at WartraceRiver gauge, Wartrace Creek	1.86 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	29 mi
Richland Creek at Highway 64 Bypass at PulaskiRiver gauge, Richland Creek	5.27 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	30 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Elk River above Fayetteville?

The official flood stage is 17.50 ft. The level is currently 16.08 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 Elk River above Fayetteville today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 PM CDT, the water level was 1.42 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Elk River above Fayetteville rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Elk River above Fayetteville normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Elk River above Fayetteville?

The highest level on record is 29.52 ft on December 23, 1990.

Is Elk River above Fayetteville expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 07:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03582000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.13456, -86.53970 (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	1.42 ft	2026-10-21 01:15	Provisional
Flow	255 cfs	2026-10-21 01:15	Provisional
Water temperature	57 °F	2026-10-21 01:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elk River above Fayetteville (usgs:03582000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/tennessee/elk-river-above-fayetteville

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