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SwedenKanawha River at Kanawha Falls water level
River gauge, Kanawha River, West Virginia, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 5,570 cfs
- Water temperature
- 62 °F
History
The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.80 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:15 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
Water levels are unremarkable at Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls, where the gauge shows 3.90 ft.
It is 23.10 ft below the flood stage of 27.00 ft.
It is still going down, by 0.78 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.80 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 3.80 ft – 6.07 ft.
The sensor also reports a water temperature of 62 °F.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 27.37 ftApril 4, 1977
- Lowest on record
- −0.95 ftAugust 15, 1930
- Forecast peak
- 4.80 ftThursday, October 22 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 27.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 41.00 ft
- Railroad tracks upstream and downstream of County Route 13 bridge floods.
- 35.00 ft
- Most areas next to river are flooded.
- 30.00 ft
- Homes, just above county route 13 bridge and along Hairdo Lane are flooded. Several houses in Charlton Heights approximatly 2 miles downstream from the County Route 13 bridge start to flood.
- 27.00 ft
- The park, near the water falls, is flooded. Homes, just upstream from the County Route 13 bridge, start to flood. Several houses in Charlton Heights approximatly 2 miles downstream from the County Route 13 bridge begin to be affected by water.
- 25.00 ft
- Low lying areas near the river in Kanawha Falls and Glen Ferris start to have water problems.
- 3.90 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: < 5 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27.37 ft | April 4, 1977 |
| 2 | 21.60 ft | January 29, 1957 |
| 3 | 20.63 ft | January 19, 1996 |
| 4 | 20.62 ft | February 26, 1972 |
| 5 | 19.41 ft | April 5, 1977 |
| 6 | 19.01 ft | February 1, 2013 |
| 7 | 19.00 ft | March 25, 1935 |
| 8 | 18.89 ft | May 7, 1984 |
| 9 | 18.54 ft | December 31, 1969 |
| 10 | 18.30 ft | March 24, 1993 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Kanawha River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanawha River at S Side Bridge at CharlestonRiver gauge, Kanawha River | 8.06 ft | Below flood stage | +0.37 ft | 27 mi |
| Kanawha River at CharlestonRiver gauge, Kanawha River | 7,910 cfs | Normal | −2,050.0 cfs | 31 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gauley River above BelvaRiver gauge, Gauley River | 2.39 ft | Below flood stage | −0.45 ft | 7 mi |
| Peters Creek near LockwoodRiver gauge, Peters Creek | 32.9 cfs | High | −7.4 cfs | 14 mi |
| New River at ThurmondRiver gauge, New River | 5.03 ft | Below flood stage | −0.20 ft | 15 mi |
| Meadow River at NallenRiver gauge, Meadow River | 4.71 ft | Below flood stage | −0.26 ft | 18 mi |
| Clear Fork at WhitesvilleRiver gauge, Clear Fork | 12.28 ft | Below flood stage | −0.08 ft | 21 mi |
| Elk River at ClayRiver gauge, Elk River | 3.93 ft | Below flood stage | −0.32 ft | 23 mi |
| Elk River at Queen ShoalsRiver gauge, Elk River | 6.74 ft | Below flood stage | −0.23 ft | 23 mi |
| Elk Twomile Creek near CharlestonRiver gauge, Elk Twomile Creek | 2.28 ft | Below flood stage | 26 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls?
The official flood stage is 27.00 ft. The level is currently 23.10 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 Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls today?
On Oct 20, 2026, 07:00 PM EDT, the water level was 3.90 ft. Down 0.78 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls rising or falling?
Down 0.78 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls?
The highest level on record is 27.37 ft on April 4, 1977. The lowest is −0.95 ft on August 15, 1930.
Is Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.80 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 PM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:03193000(Agency page)- Coordinates
38.13816, -81.21427(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 | 3.90 ft | 2026-10-20 23:00 | Provisional |
| Flow | 5,570 cfs | 2026-10-20 23:00 | Provisional |
| Water temperature | 62 °F | 2026-10-20 23:00 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls (usgs:03193000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/kanawha-river-at-kanawha-falls
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