James River at Buchanan water level

Name: James River at Buchanan 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, James River, Virginia, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.98ft Down 0.32 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 03:00 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 1,080 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at James River at Buchanan, where the gauge shows 2.98 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.32 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.94 ft – 3.31 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:39 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the James River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
James River at Lick RunRiver gauge, James River	2.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.32 ft	18 mi
James River at Bedford Dam near MajorRiver gauge, James River	6.02 ft	No reference yet	+0.02 ft	17 mi
James River at Blue Ridge Pkwy near Big IslandRiver gauge, James River	1,500 cfs	Normal	+130 cfs	17 mi
James River at Holcomb RockRiver gauge, James River	4.77 ft	Below flood stage	+0.13 ft	23 mi
James River at Bent CreekRiver gauge, James River	3.15 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	47 mi
James River at ScottsvilleRiver gauge, James River	3.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.30 ft	68 mi
James River at CartersvilleRiver gauge, James River	1.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.30 ft	88 mi
James River near RichmondRiver gauge, James River	4.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	117 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Craig Creek at ParrRiver gauge, Craig Creek	3.82 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	16 mi
Tinker Creek near DalevilleRiver gauge, Tinker Creek	1.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	16 mi
Catawba Creek near CatawbaRiver gauge, Catawba Creek	2.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	18 mi
Cowpasture River near Clifton ForgeRiver gauge, Cowpasture River	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.32 ft	19 mi
Tinker Creek above Glade Creek at RoanokeRiver gauge, Tinker Creek	32.9 cfs	Normal	±0	22 mi
Roanoke River at NiagaraRiver gauge, Roanoke River	2.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	22 mi
Maury River near Buena VistaRiver gauge, Maury River	1.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	22 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 James River at Buchanan today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:00 PM EDT, the water level was 2.98 ft. Down 0.32 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is James River at Buchanan rising or falling?

Down 0.32 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of James River at Buchanan normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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:02019500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.53069, -79.67893 (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	2.98 ft	2026-10-18 19:00	Provisional
Flow	1,080 cfs	2026-10-18 19:00	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/14582?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="James River at Buchanan water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: James River at Buchanan (usgs:02019500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/james-river-at-buchanan

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