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Elk River at Sutton water level

River gauge, Elk River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

14.48ft Down 0.80 ft over the last 24 hours

11 13 14 15

History

121416ftOct 16Oct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19121416ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 19
Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

High water at Elk River at Sutton: the latest reading is 14.48 ft, above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 2.11 ft above the median of 12.37 ft for mid-October, based on 13 years of readings.

It is still going down, by 0.80 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 14.48 ft – 16.18 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
12.37 ft2.11 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
11.29 ft – 15.20 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (13 years of records)

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.17 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 59° 34° – Wind 4 mph
19 Mon 61° 41° – Wind 4 mph
20 Tue 65° 40° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 66° 42° – Wind 4 mph
22 Thu 65° 43° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 66° 43° – Wind 7 mph
24 Sat 66° 43° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the Elk River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Elk River below Webster SpringsRiver gauge, Elk River 5.33 ft Below flood stage −0.29 ft 13 mi
Elk River near FrametownRiver gauge, Elk River 4.40 ft High −0.64 ft 11 mi
Elk River at ClayRiver gauge, Elk River 4.64 ft Below flood stage −0.76 ft 25 mi
Elk River at Queen ShoalsRiver gauge, Elk River 7.55 ft Below flood stage −0.19 ft 34 mi
Elk River at CharlestonRiver gauge, Elk River 4,250 cfs Very high −550.0 cfs 54 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Birch River at HeroldRiver gauge, Birch River 4.24 ft Below flood stage −0.26 ft 8 mi
Little Kanawha River near WildcatRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River 249 cfs Very high −88.0 cfs 11 mi
Little Kanawha River at BurnsvilleRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River 4.95 ft High −0.12 ft 14 mi
Sand Fork near GlenvilleRiver gauge, Sand Fork 51.2 cfs Very high −25.6 cfs 18 mi
West Fork River at WalkersvilleRiver gauge, West Fork River 3.77 ft High −0.34 ft 20 mi
Little Kanawha River at GlenvilleRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River 5.05 ft High −0.32 ft 20 mi
Gauley River at Camden on GauleyRiver gauge, Gauley River 4.40 ft Below flood stage −0.60 ft 21 mi
Williams River at DyerRiver gauge, Williams River 2.77 ft Below flood stage −0.37 ft 23 mi

Questions and answers

What is a normal level for the Elk River at Sutton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 12.37 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 11.29 ft and 15.20 ft, based on 13 years of records.

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 Elk River at Sutton today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 01:45 AM EDT, the water level was 14.48 ft. Down 0.80 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Elk River at Sutton rising or falling?

Down 0.80 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Elk River at Sutton normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 13 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:03195500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
38.66316, -80.70954 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 14.48 ft 2026-10-19 05:45 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elk River at Sutton (usgs:03195500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/elk-river-at-sutton

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