South Anna River near Ashland water level

Name: South Anna River near Ashland 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, South Anna River, Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.82ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT (24 min ago)

Flow: 33.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The South Anna River near Ashland is at 1.82 ft, in the normal range.

It is 10.18 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.82 ft and 2.21 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: 24.99 ftAugust 23, 1969

Floating and fishing near South Anna River near Ashland

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 10.18 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

27.00 ft: River stage sensor operating limit
16.00 ft: Agricultural fields, including sod farm, downstream of gage begin to flood.
15.00 ft: Boat ramp parking lot, 200 ft upstream of gage begins to flood.
12.00 ft: Water begins to flood lowlands downstream of gage in the vicinity of VA routes 686 and 667.
11.00 ft: Lowest areas of a couple fairways of golf course downstream of gage begin to flood.
1.82 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.99 ft	August 23, 1969
2	24.00 ft	August 15, 1928
3	22.77 ft	April 28, 1937
4	22.22 ft	July 21, 1956
5	20.90 ft	June 21, 1972
6	19.54 ft	October 9, 1972
7	19.04 ft	September 6, 1935
8	18.55 ft	August 19, 1985
9	18.15 ft	November 12, 2020
10	17.76 ft	February 26, 1979

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.20 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 67° 42° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 63° 43° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 69° 43° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 65° 46° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 65° 42° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 67° 43° – Wind 4 mph

26 Mon 71° 45° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:25 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on the South Anna River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Anna River near GordonsvilleRiver gauge, South Anna River	1.51 ft	No reference yet	−0.03 ft	42 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little River near DoswellRiver gauge, Little River	13.3 cfs	Normal	−1.5 cfs	5.6 mi
North Anna River at Hart Corner near DoswellRiver gauge, North Anna River	62.9 cfs	Normal	−2.7 cfs	8 mi
Pamunkey River near HanoverRiver gauge, Pamunkey River	151 cfs	Normal	−31.0 cfs	12 mi
Polecat Creek at Route 301 near PenolaRiver gauge, Polecat Creek	19.0 cfs	Normal	−7.4 cfs	16 mi
James River and Kanawha Canal near RichmondCanal gauge, James River and Kanawha Canal	162 cfs	Normal	±0	16 mi
James River near RichmondRiver gauge, James River	4.02 ft	Below flood stage	+0.18 ft	16 mi
North Anna River near PartlowRiver gauge, North Anna River	34.3 cfs	Very low	−2.8 cfs	17 mi
Totopotomoy Creek near StudleyRiver gauge, Totopotomoy Creek	7.5 cfs	Normal	−3.7 cfs	18 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Anna River near Ashland?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.18 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 South Anna River near Ashland today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT, the water level was 1.82 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Anna River near Ashland rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.35 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South Anna River near Ashland normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Anna River near Ashland?

The highest level on record is 24.99 ft on August 23, 1969.

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:01672500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.79681, -77.54887 (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	1.82 ft	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional
Flow	33.8 cfs	2026-10-21 09:45	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/13760?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South Anna River near Ashland water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Anna River near Ashland (usgs:01672500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/south-anna-river-near-ashland

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