Smith River at Bassett water level

Name: Smith River at Bassett 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, Smith River, Virginia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.75ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:10 AM EDT (22 min ago)

Flow: 143 cfs
Water temperature: 44 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at Smith River at Bassett: the gauge reads 1.75 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.75 ft – 1.80 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 44 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 15.20 ftSeptember 7, 1987

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.20 ft	September 7, 1987
2	13.35 ft	May 25, 2020
3	13.04 ft	September 10, 1950
4	11.87 ft	May 28, 1982
5	11.64 ft	September 22, 1979
6	11.20 ft	December 7, 1950
7	10.50 ft	September 6, 1996
8	10.07 ft	October 1, 2015
9	9.60 ft	July 26, 1974
10	9.17 ft	April 9, 1983

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.22 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 60° 37° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 65° 39° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 72° 45° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 70° 46° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 72° 46° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 68° 45° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 63° 43° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Smith River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Smith River at Smith River Church near WoolwineRiver gauge, Smith River	2.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	14 mi
Smith River near PhilpottRiver gauge, Smith River	139 cfs	Normal	±0	1.5 mi
Smith River at MartinsvilleRiver gauge, Smith River	1.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Smith River at EdenRiver gauge, Smith River	2.00 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	21 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Philpott Reservoir at Philpott Dam near PhilpottReservoir, Philpott Reservoir	970.59 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	1.7 mi
North Mayo River near SpencerRiver gauge, North Mayo River	1.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	14 mi
South Mayo River near NettleridgeRiver gauge, South Mayo River	3.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	15 mi
Mayo River near PriceRiver gauge, Mayo River	1.09 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	16 mi
Blackwater River near Rocky MountRiver gauge, Blackwater River	2.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	21 mi
Dan River near FranciscoRiver gauge, Dan River	1.54 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	24 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 Smith River at Bassett today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:10 AM EDT, the water level was 1.75 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Smith River at Bassett rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Smith River at Bassett normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Smith River at Bassett?

The highest level on record is 15.20 ft on September 7, 1987.

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:02072500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.77014, -80.00088 (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	1.75 ft	2026-10-19 15:10	Provisional
Flow	143 cfs	2026-10-19 15:10	Provisional
Water temperature	44 °F	2026-10-19 15:10	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Smith River at Bassett (usgs:02072500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/smith-river-at-bassett

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