Levisa Fork at Prestonsburg water level

Name: Levisa Fork at Prestonsburg 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, Levisa Fork, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.86ft Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:45 PM EDT (32 min ago)

Flow: 820 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Levisa Fork at Prestonsburg, where the gauge shows 2.86 ft.

It is 37.14 ft below the flood stage of 40.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.21 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.16 ft – 4.41 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: 45.71 ftApril 6, 1977

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 40.00 ft.

What happens at each level

49.90 ft: Flooding will equal the highest flood on record.
48.00 ft: The entire town is flooded except for portions of Riverside Avenue and a half block on Mill Street.
47.00 ft: Water reaches the top of the levee.
46.00 ft: Major flooding is occurring. Most of town is flooded except for the center of city which is protected by a levee and small area near hills.
43.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs. Water enters some homes.
41.00 ft: Water is in the business district including the court house and old post office.
40.00 ft: Minor flooding. River is at flood stage and is 430 feet wide.
27.00 ft: Flood gate is closed to the storm drain system in Prestonsburg.
24.00 ft: Archer Park is inundated.
2.86 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	45.71 ft	April 6, 1977
2	43.88 ft	May 7, 1984
3	43.37 ft	February 17, 2025
4	40.50 ft	March 2, 2021
5	39.88 ft	February 17, 2003

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.27 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 67° 41° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 68° 41° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 70° 44° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 69° 46° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 70° 44° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 72° 47° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 70° 44° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:50 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on Levisa Fork

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Levisa Fork at Big RockRiver gauge, Levisa Fork	2.86 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	39 mi
Levisa Fork below Fishtrap Dam near MillardRiver gauge, Levisa Fork	10.83 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Levisa Fork at PikevilleRiver gauge, Levisa Fork	6.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	20 mi
Levisa Fork at PaintsvilleRiver gauge, Levisa Fork	3.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Licking River below Mason Fork near SalyersvilleRiver gauge, Licking River	4.87 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	16 mi
Johns Creek near MetaRiver gauge, Johns Creek	15.3 cfs	Normal	−1.5 cfs	19 mi
Tug Fork at KermitRiver gauge, Tug Fork	3.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.49 ft	23 mi
Blaine Creek near BlaineRiver gauge, Blaine Creek	2.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	25 mi
Tug Fork at WilliamsonRiver gauge, Tug Fork	3.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	27 mi
Grapevine Creek near PhyllisRiver gauge, Grapevine Creek	1.8 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	28 mi
Russell Fork at CedarvilleRiver gauge, Russell Fork	7.02 ft	Below flood stage	−1.42 ft	34 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at JacksonRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	1.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	34 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Levisa Fork at Prestonsburg?

The official flood stage is 40.00 ft. The level is currently 37.14 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 Levisa Fork at Prestonsburg today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:45 PM EDT, the water level was 2.86 ft. Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Levisa Fork at Prestonsburg rising or falling?

Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Levisa Fork at Prestonsburg normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Levisa Fork at Prestonsburg?

The highest level on record is 45.71 ft on April 6, 1977.

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:03209800 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.67093, -82.77710 (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	2.86 ft	2026-10-19 20:45	Provisional
Flow	820 cfs	2026-10-19 20:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Levisa Fork at Prestonsburg (usgs:03209800). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/levisa-fork-at-prestonsburg

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