South River at Harriston water level

Name: South River at Harriston 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 River, Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.11ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 55.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at South River at Harriston, where the gauge shows 2.11 ft.

It is 7.39 ft below the flood stage of 9.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.11 ft – 2.23 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: 18.80 ftNovember 1, 1877

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 9.50 ft.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Numerous homes are flooded, along with several roads and significant amounts of farmland.
15.00 ft: A large portion of Route 825 is flooded. Several homes are flooded nearby.
12.00 ft: Trixie Lane is flooded. Water approaches homes near the river.
11.00 ft: Water reaches a low spot on Route 625.
10.00 ft: The very end of Route 770 is flooded, along with nearby fields.
9.50 ft: Water begins to overflow into fields near the river.
2.11 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.80 ft	November 1, 1877
2	18.80 ft	September 1, 1870
3	17.20 ft	October 15, 1942
4	16.60 ft	May 1, 1924
5	15.57 ft	September 6, 1996
6	15.47 ft	November 4, 1985
7	15.25 ft	June 21, 1972
8	14.41 ft	September 19, 2003
9	13.47 ft	September 6, 1979
10	13.24 ft	October 5, 1972

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.41 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 60° 44° 0.02 in, 51% Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 59° 38° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 63° 35° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 68° 40° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 64° 41° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 67° 38° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 65° 40° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the South River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South River near WaynesboroRiver gauge, South River	2.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	12 mi
South River near DoomsRiver gauge, South River	2.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle River near GrottoesRiver gauge, Middle River	3.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	3.3 mi
South F Shenandoah River near LynnwoodRiver gauge, South F Shenandoah River	2.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	8 mi
North River near BurketownRiver gauge, North River	2.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	9 mi
Mechums River near White HallRiver gauge, Mechums River	25.3 cfs	Normal	−1.8 cfs	15 mi
Moormans River near Free UnionRiver gauge, Moormans River	14.9 cfs	Normal	−1.2 cfs	16 mi
Muddy Creek at Mount ClintonRiver gauge, Muddy Creek	2.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	20 mi
South F Rivanna River near CharlottesvilleRiver gauge, South F Rivanna River	48.1 cfs	Normal	−12.5 cfs	22 mi
North F Rivanna River near EarlysvilleRiver gauge, North F Rivanna River	31.4 cfs	Normal	−4.0 cfs	23 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South River at Harriston?

The official flood stage is 9.50 ft. The level is currently 7.39 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 River at Harriston today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:45 PM EDT, the water level was 2.11 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South River at Harriston rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South River at Harriston normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South River at Harriston?

The highest level on record is 18.80 ft on November 1, 1877.

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:01627500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.21874, -78.83669 (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	2.11 ft	2026-10-19 22:45	Provisional
Flow	55.0 cfs	2026-10-19 22:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South River at Harriston (usgs:01627500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/south-river-at-harriston

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