Cheat River below Saltlick Creek at Rowlesburg water level

Name: Cheat River below Saltlick Creek at Rowlesburg 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, Cheat River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.99ft Down 0.53 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:50 PM EDT (10 min ago)

Flow: 2,360 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:03 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Cheat River below Saltlick Creek at Rowlesburg, where the gauge shows 3.99 ft.

It is 12.01 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.53 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 3.99 ft – 7.30 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 36.90 ftNovember 5, 1985
Forecast peak: 4.10 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 16.00 ft.

What happens at each level

36.90 ft: Water levels reach the historic Election Day Flood of November 5, 1985.
36.00 ft: With the exception of areas like Oak, Maple and Wilson Streets, the entire town of Rowlesburg is under water. Areas closest to the Cheat River are inundated by up to 20 feet of water.
33.00 ft: Water reaches the road deck of the Maple Avenue Bridge (Route 51). Backwater flooding occurs on Saltlick Creek upstream from the confluence of the Cheat River.
30.00 ft: Water surrounds buildings on Maple Avenue (Route 51) east the Maple Avenue Bridge along Saltlick Creek. Parts of East Main Street and Elm Street are covered with 13 feet of water.
28.00 ft: Water covers the intersection at the east end of the Maple Avenue Bridge with County Route 80/8 and Maple Avenue flooded.
25.00 ft: Water reaches the lowest bridge girders on both the railroad bridge and the Maple Avenue Bridge (Route 51). Approximately 3 feet of water covers the east end of Main Street and 8 feet of water on Catherine Street (Route 72) near town park.
24.20 ft: Water levels reach the flood levels of the flood of January 19, 1996.
24.00 ft: Water covers portions of Elm, East Main and Catherine Streets in Rowlesburg and Route 72 both South and North of Rowlesburg. Water covers parts of the intersection of Maple Avenue and County Road 80/8 at the east end of the Maple Avenue Bridge. Downstream in Manheim, Center Avenue floods.
23.58 ft: Water levels reach the flood levels of the flood of February 9, 1994.
22.00 ft: Route 72 (Buffalo Street) is closed near Feltys Hill at the south end of Rowlesburg. Water approaches the intersection of Maple Street and County Road 80/8 at the east end of the Maple Avenue Bridge.
20.00 ft: Water flows under houses in low lying areas of Rowlesburg. Water affects homes along Poplar, Elm, Catherine, Diamond, Church, Buffalo and Main Streets. Nearly 3 feet of water covers Rowlesburg Town Park ball fields.
18.00 ft: State route 72 is closed at the north end of Rowlesburg, and water surrounds houses near Rowlesburg town park.
3.99 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 11 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	36.90 ft	November 5, 1985
2	24.20 ft	January 19, 1996
3	23.58 ft	February 9, 1994
4	20.94 ft	May 8, 1994
5	20.90 ft	February 19, 2000
6	19.50 ft	July 19, 1996
7	19.00 ft	March 20, 2002
8	18.72 ft	July 31, 1996
9	18.71 ft	March 6, 1989
10	18.65 ft	May 27, 1990

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.05 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 64° 42° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 62° 41° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 63° 40° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 64° 43° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 66° 42° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 67° 45° – Wind 4 mph

26 Mon 68° 47° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:34 PM Daylight 11 hr Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Cheat River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cheat River near ParsonsRiver gauge, Cheat River	4.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.43 ft	16 mi
Cheat River at AlbrightRiver gauge, Cheat River	12.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.57 ft	10 mi
Cheat River at Lake LynnRiver gauge, Cheat River	11.54 ft	No reference yet	−0.15 ft	28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Youghiogheny River near OaklandRiver gauge, Youghiogheny River	175 cfs	High	−24.0 cfs	14 mi
Three Fork Creek near GraftonRiver gauge, Three Fork Creek	106 cfs	Normal	−11.0 cfs	17 mi
Youghiogheny River near McHenryRiver gauge, Youghiogheny River	551 cfs	High	−339.0 cfs	18 mi
Blackwater River at DavisRiver gauge, Blackwater River	2.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	19 mi
Big Sandy Creek at RockvilleRiver gauge, Big Sandy Creek	4.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	19 mi
Tygart Valley River at Tygart Dam near GraftonRiver gauge, Tygart Valley River	5,650 cfs	Very high	−380.0 cfs	19 mi
Dry Fork at HendricksRiver gauge, Dry Fork	2.87 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	19 mi
North Branch Potomac River at SteyerRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Cheat River below Saltlick Creek at Rowlesburg?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 12.01 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 Cheat River below Saltlick Creek at Rowlesburg today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:50 PM EDT, the water level was 3.99 ft. Down 0.53 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cheat River below Saltlick Creek at Rowlesburg rising or falling?

Down 0.53 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cheat River below Saltlick Creek at Rowlesburg normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cheat River below Saltlick Creek at Rowlesburg?

The highest level on record is 36.90 ft on November 5, 1985.

Is Cheat River below Saltlick Creek at Rowlesburg expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:0307020015 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.34976, -79.66792 (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	3.99 ft	2026-10-20 22:50	Provisional
Flow	2,360 cfs	2026-10-20 22:50	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cheat River below Saltlick Creek at Rowlesburg (usgs:0307020015). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/cheat-river-below-saltlick-creek-at-rowlesburg

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