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East Fork White River at Columbus water level

River gauge, East Fork White River, Indiana, United States

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Right now

Below flood stage

Water level

-3.23ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

0 10 20 Highest onrecord 18.61 ft Minor floodstage 9.00 ft

History

History
-3.4-3.3-3.2ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24-3.4-3.3-3.2ftOct 16Oct 20Oct 24
Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to −3.40 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:37 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at East Fork White River at Columbus, where the gauge shows −3.23 ft.

It is 12.23 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to −3.40 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. The 30-day range is −3.39 ft – −3.14 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record
18.61 ftJune 8, 2008
Forecast peak
−3.20 ftMonday, October 19 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 9.00 ft.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft
River levels approaching the 500 year flood. This level is more than 3 feet above June 2008. There is great destruction along SR 46 between I-65 and Columbus and along the SR 11 corridor south of Columbus to Seymour. Flood waters threaten old wellhouse. Columbus is cut off from the outside world via land transportation.
19.50 ft
Record flooding is in progress. Flood flow may approximate that of the March 1913 estimated flow. Although 2nd Street and 3rd Street in Columbus are dry, one cannot enter Columbus via 2nd Street because the river bridge is flooded and one cannot leave Columbus via 3rd Street because SR 46 is extremely flooded west of the river. Thus Columbus is very likely isolated via land transportation.
18.61 ft
Record flooding developed rapidly in June 2008 following rains of up to 11 inches in the Edinburgh area on very wet ground with the river already in flood at 10 ft when the rain began. Communications with the Columbus area were lost early during this flood and isolated the city. The severe river flooding occurred during darkness. While majority of flood damage to the city was caused by Haw Creek, this flood surpassed the March 1913 flood to be the greatest flood to strike this area of the East Fork White.
18.60 ft
During June 2008, Haw Creek flooded the first floor of the Columbus Hospital as well as numerous homes and businesses in the City of Columbus. Along SR 46 west of Columbus all businesses that were not raised above the 100 year flood elevations were heavily flooded (many have since been raised). SR 46 interchange with I-65 was flooded by 4 to 5 ft of water from a combination of river and storm drain backup. Flood waters extended 2 blocks west of the exit.
18.00 ft
State Road 46 flooded on both sides of I-65 at exit 68. Entrances to local businesses blocked by flood waters. A farm homestead located about 2/3 of a mile north of SR 46 just west of CR 325 W is an island. CR 325 W, CR 200 N, Georgetown and Tellman Roads submerged by several feet of water. Flood waters over east bound SR 46 bridge and SR 11 north and south of Columbus submerged by several feet of water. Serious flooding continues in Columbus and Garden City areas.
17.00 ft
Approaching a record flood. State Road 46 closed. Evacuations are likely on homes north of SR 46. Flood waters affect businesses along SR 46. This is the approximate height of the 100 year flood.
16.00 ft
Water flows over SR 46 west of Columbus. Water surrounds houses north of SR 46. Some evacuations are necessary. Businesses and houses beginning to flood along SR 46.
15.90 ft
SR 46 at Columbus completely closed from I-65 to Columbus during the December 2013 flood. Also SR 11 south of Columbus was closed. In the Walesboro area at least 10 homes experienced flooding in December 2013 and Southern Crossing was closed.
15.00 ft
The river floods two of SR 46's 4 lanes just west of Columbus. Southern Crossing flooded at this level in June 2008. At least 10 homes in the Walesboro area began to flood or had water near their homes in December 2013. Southern Crossing was closed by high water.
14.60 ft
Water began to edge on to SR 46 east of Columbus at this level in December 2013. Local residents concerned along the Flatrock River at Columbus. Level of Flatrock River was 15.3 feet at US Highway 31.
14.10 ft
Residential areas in the Walesboro area near Southern Crossing begin to flood especially if the reading at Seymour is slightly over 18 feet.
14.00 ft
Extensive agricultural flooding from Columbus area downstream to Walesboro. Flooding of SR 11 from Columbus to Walesboro is in progress. Businesses and residences flood along SR 11. Mill Race Park and Tellman Road extensively flooded. CR 325 W south of Lowell Rd and local roads just north of West Hill Shopping Center flooded. According to Columbus Response Plan, Southern Gladstone Avenue is flooded. This is likely because of backwater from the East Fork White.
−3.23 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: 18 %.

RankLevelDate
118.61 ftJune 8, 2008
217.90 ftMarch 27, 1913
317.09 ftApril 6, 2025
417.05 ftJanuary 7, 2005
516.23 ftMarch 6, 1963
616.13 ftDecember 23, 2013
716.00 ftJanuary 28, 1952
815.67 ftJanuary 1, 1991
915.35 ftNovember 16, 1993
1015.12 ftMay 9, 1961

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.

19 Mon 66° 37° – Wind 6 mph
20 Tue 67° 39° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 71° 42° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 72° 49° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 73° 49° – Wind 8 mph
24 Sat 74° 49° – Wind 7 mph
25 Sun 73° 51° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:58 AM Sunset 07:01 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the East Fork White River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
East Fork White River at SeymourRiver gauge, East Fork White River 3.77 ft Below flood stage +0.03 ft 15 mi
East Fork White River near BedfordRiver gauge, East Fork White River 3.98 ft Below flood stage +0.04 ft 39 mi
East Fork White River at ShoalsRiver gauge, East Fork White River 2.72 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 59 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Haw Creek at East ColumbusRiver gauge, Haw Creek 2.56 ft Below flood stage ±0 0.8 mi
Flatrock River at ColumbusRiver gauge, Flatrock River 3.00 ft Normal ±0 2.4 mi
Clifty Creek near ColumbusRiver gauge, Clifty Creek 4.55 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 2.9 mi
Haw Creek near CliffordRiver gauge, Haw Creek 3.15 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 6.0 mi
Driftwood River near EdinburghRiver gauge, Driftwood River 2.27 ft Below flood stage −0.17 ft 10 mi
Haw Creek at HopeRiver gauge, Haw Creek 1.94 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 11 mi
Sugar Creek near EdinburghRiver gauge, Sugar Creek 4.11 ft Below flood stage −0.17 ft 12 mi
Clifty Creek at HartsvilleRiver gauge, Clifty Creek 0.72 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the East Fork White River at Columbus?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 12.23 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 East Fork White River at Columbus today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:00 PM EDT, the water level was −3.23 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is East Fork White River at Columbus rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of East Fork White River at Columbus normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at East Fork White River at Columbus?

The highest level on record is 18.61 ft on June 8, 2008.

Is East Fork White River at Columbus expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to −3.40 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:03364000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.20004, -85.92552 (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 −3.23 ft 2026-10-19 20:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: East Fork White River at Columbus (usgs:03364000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/east-fork-white-river-at-columbus

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.