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Elk River at Prospect water level

River gauge, Elk River, Tennessee, United States

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Right now

Below flood stage

Water level

0.76ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
340 cfs
0 13 25 38 Highest onrecord 40.90 ft Minor floodstage 25.00 ft

History

History
12ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 2312ftOct 16Oct 19Oct 23
Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.80 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 07:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 08:18 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Elk River at Prospect reads 0.76 ft, a normal level.

It is 24.24 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.80 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 07:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.76 ft and 0.82 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record
40.90 ftMarch 1, 1902
Forecast peak
2.80 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 25.00 ft, still 24.24 ft away.

What happens at each level

40.00 ft
Widespread flooding continues to impact Hwy 237 near Elkton and Prospect, as well as Prospect Elkton Rd Hwy 273 at Richland Creek, Pleasant Hill Rd at Bates Hollow Rd, Valley Ln, and Ragsdale Rd, and portions of Elkton Pike U.S. 31south of Elkton. Several structures in Prospect are flooded, and water reaches Reeves Branch Rd at Baugh Rd, the access road to the weigh station, and approaches railroad tracks at the river near the Lincoln County line.
38.00 ft
Widespread flooding is impacting portions of Hwy 237 near Elkton and Prospect, portions of Pleasant Hill Rd at Bates Hollow Rd, Valley Ln, and Ragsdale Rd, and Elkton Pike south of Ed McCormack Rd. Several structures in Prospect on Hwy 273 south of Prospect Rd are flooded. Water approaches Prospect Elkton Rd Hwy 273 at Richland Creek, Reeves Branch Rd at Baugh Rd, the access road to the weigh station, and Elkton Pike - U.S. 31 south of Elkton, which may be impassable at higher levels.
36.00 ft
Significant flooding continues across southeast Giles County, impacting portions of Hwy 237 near Elkton and Prospect, portions of Pleasant Hill Rd at Bates Hollow Rd, Valley Ln, and Ragsdale Rd, and Elkton Pike U.S. 31 south of Ed McCormack Rd Ardmore Ridge Rd. Several structures in Prospect on Hwy 273 south of Prospect Rd are flooded.
34.00 ft
Significant flooding is occurring along the river, impacting Bryson Rd Hwy 273 east of I-65, Pleasant Hill Rd at Bates Hollow Rd, Case Rd Hwy 273 and structures in Prospect, and Bethel Prospect Rd near Birdsong Ln which are all impassable. Water approaches Elkton Pike - U.S. 31 south of Ed McCormack Rd Ardmore Ridge Rd, and Pleasant Hill Rd at Valley Ln and near Ragsdale Rd which may be impassable at higher levels.
32.00 ft
Extensive flooding continues across southeast Giles County, impacting area roads including Baugh Rd east of I-65, and Witt Rd between Beasley Branch Rd and River Bend Rd. Water approaches Bryson Rd Hwy 273 east of I-65, Pleasant Hill Rd at Bates Hollow Rd, Case Rd Hwy 273 and structures in Prospect, and Bethel Prospect Rd near Birdsong Ln. These roads may be impassable at higher levels.
30.00 ft
Extensive flooding of agricultural areas along the river is occurring, with flood waters reaching Old Hwy 31 near Ed McCormack Rd which is impassable. Water approaches Baugh Rd east of I-65, and Witt Rd between Beasley Branch Rd and River Bend Rd which may be impassable at higher levels.
28.00 ft
Water approaches Old Hwy 31 near Ed McCormack Rd and may be impassable at higher levels.
26.00 ft
Flooding is impacting agricultural areas along the river across southeast Giles County. Water covers Veto Rd near the Hargrove - Johnson bridge south of Route 273. It may be unsafe to pass and motorists should seek an alternate route.
24.00 ft
Water approaches Veto Rd near the Hargrove - Johnson bridge and may be impassable at higher levels.
22.00 ft
Water continues to impact low lying and agricultural areas along the river across southeast Giles County.
20.00 ft
Water has completely inundated the Veto Boat Ramp and the Matt Gardner Elk River Access Area. The boat ramps and parking areas are completely submerged at this level and unusable. Low lying and agricultural areas along the river begin to be inundated.
18.00 ft
Water begins to inundate the Veto Boat Ramp at the Hargrove - Johnson bridge, and the Matt Gardner Elk River Access Area.
0.76 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 %.

RankLevelDate
140.90 ftMarch 1, 1902
240.12 ftMarch 17, 1973
338.98 ftMarch 22, 1955
438.17 ftFebruary 14, 1948
537.06 ftMarch 14, 1975
636.43 ftJanuary 11, 1974
734.85 ftFebruary 2, 1957
834.26 ftMarch 13, 1963
934.20 ftFebruary 20, 1991
1034.00 ftJanuary 6, 1949

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 06:58 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Elk River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Elk River near PelhamRiver gauge, Elk River 3.00 ft Normal ±0 66 mi
Elk River above FayettevilleRiver gauge, Elk River 1.46 ft Below flood stage ±0 27 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Richland Creek at Highway 64 Bypass at PulaskiRiver gauge, Richland Creek 5.30 ft Below flood stage ±0 13 mi
Swan Creek below AthensRiver gauge, Swan Creek 3.14 ft Normal −0.01 ft 18 mi
Limestone Creek near AthensRiver gauge, Limestone Creek 1.38 ft Normal +0.01 ft 21 mi
Indian Creek near MadisonRiver gauge, Indian Creek 2.62 ft Below flood stage +0.04 ft 28 mi
Big Nance Creek at CourtlandRiver gauge, Big Nance Creek 1.03 ft Very low +0.02 ft 30 mi
Hester Creek at Buddy Williamson Road near PlevnaRiver gauge, Hester Creek 1.65 ft Low +0.01 ft 30 mi
Shoal Creek at Iron CityRiver gauge, Shoal Creek 1.72 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 33 mi
Aldridge Creek at Toney Drive at HuntsvilleRiver gauge, Aldridge Creek 3.11 ft Below flood stage ±0 33 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Elk River at Prospect?

The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 24.24 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 at Prospect today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:15 AM CDT, the water level was 0.76 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Elk River at Prospect rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Elk River at Prospect normal?

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

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

The highest level on record is 40.90 ft on March 1, 1902.

Is Elk River at Prospect expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.80 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:03584600 (Agency page)
Coordinates
35.01424, -86.99466 (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 0.76 ft 2026-10-19 09:15 Provisional
Flow 340 cfs 2026-10-19 09:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elk River at Prospect (usgs:03584600). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/tennessee/elk-river-at-prospect

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.