Blackwater River near Rocky Mount water level

Name: Blackwater River near Rocky Mount 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, Blackwater River, Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.91ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT (53 min ago)

Flow: 47.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Blackwater River near Rocky Mount reads 1.91 ft, a normal level.

It is 10.09 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.90 ft and 2.17 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 21.92 ftNovember 5, 1985
Lowest on record: 0.66 ftAugust 13, 2002

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 10.09 ft away.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: ROUTE 709 NEAR GOGGINSVILLE IS FLOODED.
1.91 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.92 ft	November 5, 1985
2	19.93 ft	April 21, 1992
3	17.53 ft	September 8, 1987
4	16.38 ft	September 22, 1979
5	15.81 ft	April 27, 1978
6	15.55 ft	September 6, 1996
7	14.85 ft	November 12, 2009
8	14.67 ft	September 28, 2004
9	14.31 ft	October 12, 2018
10	13.53 ft	April 10, 1983

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.16 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 67° 34° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 73° 42° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 68° 43° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 71° 44° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 67° 44° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 62° 40° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 65° 39° – Wind 3 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:36 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Blackwater River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Blackwater River at DavisRiver gauge, Blackwater River	2.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.21 ft	145 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Back Creek near DundeeRiver gauge, Back Creek	20.0 cfs	Normal	−3.8 cfs	13 mi
Roanoke River at NiagaraRiver gauge, Roanoke River	2.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	15 mi
Roanoke River at RoanokeRiver gauge, Roanoke River	0.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	16 mi
Tinker Creek above Glade Creek at RoanokeRiver gauge, Tinker Creek	29.6 cfs	Low	−1.6 cfs	16 mi
Pigg River near Sandy LevelRiver gauge, Pigg River	2.33 ft	Below flood stage	±0	19 mi
Goose Creek near HuddlestonRiver gauge, Goose Creek	1.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	20 mi
Smith River near PhilpottRiver gauge, Smith River	137 cfs	Normal	−2.0 cfs	21 mi
Philpott Reservoir at Philpott Dam near PhilpottReservoir, Philpott Reservoir	970.59 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	21 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Blackwater River near Rocky Mount?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.09 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 Blackwater River near Rocky Mount today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.91 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Blackwater River near Rocky Mount rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.23 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Blackwater River near Rocky Mount normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Blackwater River near Rocky Mount?

The highest level on record is 21.92 ft on November 5, 1985. The lowest is 0.66 ft on August 13, 2002.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02056900 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.04514, -79.84420 (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	1.91 ft	2026-10-21 03:45	Provisional
Flow	47.6 cfs	2026-10-21 03:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Blackwater River near Rocky Mount (usgs:02056900). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/blackwater-river-near-rocky-mount

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