Tug Fork Downstream of Elkhorn Creek at Welch water level

Name: Tug Fork Downstream of Elkhorn Creek at Welch 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, Tug Fork Downstream of Elkhorn Creek, West Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.16ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT (41 min ago)

Flow: 82.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Tug Fork Downstream of Elkhorn Creek at Welch reads 3.16 ft, a normal level.

It is 13.84 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.16 ft and 3.74 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: 22.10 ftFebruary 16, 2025
Lowest on record: 2.44 ftJuly 20, 1999

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 17.00 ft, still 13.84 ft away.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Hemphill area is flooded. Other homes and businesses along the river in Welch are flooded.
19.00 ft: Flooding of homes near bridge next to gage. Tug Road, Slick Rock Road, and Wilson Street in Hemphill area are flooded.
18.00 ft: Wilson Street and Slick Rock Road begin to flood in the Hemphill area.
17.00 ft: Church parking lot in Hemphill begins to flood. Route 16 dip between Hemphill and Welch starts to flood.
3.16 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.10 ft	February 16, 2025
2	22.10 ft	May 2, 2002
3	19.77 ft	July 8, 2001
4	15.17 ft	November 19, 2003
5	13.41 ft	May 16, 1996
6	12.92 ft	February 6, 2020
7	11.90 ft	April 24, 1987
8	11.63 ft	February 22, 2003
9	11.45 ft	February 11, 1994
10	10.86 ft	January 31, 2013

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 71° 37° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 69° 40° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 68° 38° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 69° 42° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 70° 42° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 71° 43° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 70° 44° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Guyandotte River at PinevilleRiver gauge, Guyandotte River	0.85 ft	Lowest on record	−0.09 ft	10 mi
Guyandotte River near BaileysvilleRiver gauge, Guyandotte River	3.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	12 mi
Dry Fork at BeartownRiver gauge, Dry Fork	2.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	12 mi
Tug Fork at LitwarRiver gauge, Tug Fork	3.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	13 mi
Clear Fork at Clear ForkRiver gauge, Clear Fork	2.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	14 mi
Panther Creek near PantherRiver gauge, Panther Creek	2.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	15 mi
Bluestone River at Falls MillsRiver gauge, Bluestone River	1.88 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	20 mi
Guyandotte River at ManRiver gauge, Guyandotte River	5.39 ft	Below flood stage	+0.17 ft	26 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Tug Fork Downstream of Elkhorn Creek at Welch?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 13.84 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 Tug Fork Downstream of Elkhorn Creek at Welch today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:45 AM EDT, the water level was 3.16 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Tug Fork Downstream of Elkhorn Creek at Welch rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.49 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Tug Fork Downstream of Elkhorn Creek at Welch normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Tug Fork Downstream of Elkhorn Creek at Welch?

The highest level on record is 22.10 ft on February 16, 2025. The lowest is 2.44 ft on July 20, 1999.

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:03212750 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.44122, -81.59983 (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	3.16 ft	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional
Flow	82.7 cfs	2026-10-21 09:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tug Fork Downstream of Elkhorn Creek at Welch (usgs:03212750). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/tug-fork-downstream-of-elkhorn-creek-at-welch

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