South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms water level

Name: South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms 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, South Fork Black Creek, Florida, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.30ft Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:30 PM EDT (33 min ago)

Flow: 66.7 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms reads 1.30 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.55 ft, based on 81 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.25 ft below typical. It is 13.20 ft below the flood stage of 14.50 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.71 ft, a difference of +0.59 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.15 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.31 ft and 8.27 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 81 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.55 ft0.25 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.69 ft – 4.49 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (81 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.71 ft+0.59 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.31 ft – 8.27 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.00 ft – 8.27 ft
Highest on record: 29.36 ftSeptember 11, 2017

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 14.50 ft, still 13.20 ft away.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: Historic Flooding throughout the South Fork Creek Basin. Flooding renders Blanding Blvd in Middleburg and County Road 218 impassable.
28.00 ft: Water reaches and begins to cross Blanding Blvd at County Road 218 in Middleburg.
26.00 ft: Catastrophic flooding throughout the entire South Fork basin continues to expand. in Middleburg, water begins to flood several commercial properties south of Blanding Blvd. The first Baptist Church in Middleburg begins to flood. The approach to the County Road 218 bridge floods at this level.
24.00 ft: The approaches to the State Road 16 Bridge near Penney Farms floods at this level. Flooding expands and affects several residences along Becky Street. Retention and holding ponds north of FL-218 begin to overflow into adjacent wooded areas from creek water backing up into the area.
22.00 ft: Flooding continues to worsen throughout the entire South Fork Basin. Homes along Saunders Lane and Elizabeth Lane begin to flood. Homes along Creek Street, Black Creek Drive, lightning Lane, and Thunder Road experience catastrophic flooding.
20.00 ft: Significant flooding of homes and property along the entire South Fork Basin begin. This includes property along Creek Street, Black Creek Drive and Lightning Lane. Thunder Road and other main access roads along the creek become impassable. Evacuations in low lying areas are expected.
17.50 ft: Flooding begins to impact numerous homes and structures along Creek Street, Black Creek Drive and Lightning Lane. Access to homes will be cut off by flood waters. Evacuations in low lying areas may be necessary.
16.00 ft: Flooding of low lying structures along Creek Street begins. Creek Street and driveways leading to Black Creek Drive become impassable. Movement of property to higher ground is recommended.
14.50 ft: Flooding begins to impact low lying driveways and access roads along Creek Street, Black Creek Drive and Lightning Lane. Docks and other low lying property along the creek begin to flood.
10.00 ft: Should water levels continue rising, preparations to protect property should begin. Water bgins to come over the bank in a few low lying spots near Black Creek Drive.
1.30 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	29.36 ft	September 11, 2017
2	26.33 ft	October 19, 1944
3	25.21 ft	May 21, 1959
4	23.68 ft	May 3, 2013
5	22.71 ft	February 3, 1970
6	22.60 ft	September 24, 1947
7	22.57 ft	April 27, 1997
8	22.03 ft	September 30, 1969
9	21.65 ft	October 21, 1941
10	21.25 ft	October 19, 1950

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 74° 55° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 78° 54° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 79° 53° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 79° 60° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 75° 62° 0.42 in, 40% Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 81° 67° 0.09 in Wind 14 mph

26 Mon 80° 69° 0.08 in Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 19 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Fork Black Creek at MiddleburgRiver gauge, North Fork Black Creek	13.52 ft	High	−0.16 ft	7 mi
North Fork Black Creek near MiddleburgRiver gauge, North Fork Black Creek	2.10 ft	Normal	−0.20 ft	10 mi
St Johns River below Shands Bridge near Grn Cove SprgRiver gauge, St Johns River	1.36 ft	Normal	−0.25 ft	14 mi
Ortega River at Kirwin Road near JacksonvilleRiver gauge, Ortega River	7.07 ft	High	−0.26 ft	16 mi
Durbin Creek near Fruit CoveTidal gauge, Durbin Creek	1.62 ft	Normal	−0.16 ft	21 mi
Julington Creek at Old St August Road near BayardTidal gauge, Julington Creek	1.63 ft	Flooding	−0.12 ft	21 mi
St Johns River at Racy Point near HastingsRiver gauge, St Johns River	1.50 ft	Flooding	−0.22 ft	22 mi
Cedar River at San Juan Avenue at JacksonvilleTidal gauge, Cedar River	12.92 ft	High	−0.42 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

Is South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.59 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.71 ft.

What is flood stage for South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms?

The official flood stage is 14.50 ft. The level is currently 13.20 ft below it.

What is a normal level for South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.55 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.69 ft and 4.49 ft, based on 81 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 South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:30 PM EDT, the water level was 1.30 ft. Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms rising or falling?

Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 3.80 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 81 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02245500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 29.97941, -81.85204 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	1.30 ft	2026-10-20 19:30	Provisional
Flow	66.7 cfs	2026-10-20 19:30	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/7464?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms (usgs:02245500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/florida/south-fork-black-creek-near-penney-farms

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