Poor Fork at Cumberland water level

Name: Poor Fork at Cumberland 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, Poor Fork, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.57ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 03:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 46.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Poor Fork at Cumberland is at 3.57 ft, in the normal range.

It is 8.43 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.51 ft and 3.61 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: 15.88 ftApril 4, 1977

Floating and fishing near Poor Fork at Cumberland

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 8.43 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

15.88 ft: Flooding will exceed the highest flood on record. Downtown streets and the approach of KY 2179 bridge flood.
14.00 ft: Low lying private yards are flooded.
13.50 ft: Water begins affecting some low lying businesses.
12.00 ft: Low lying areas flood. A parking lot of a business floods.
11.00 ft: River is at bankfull.
3.57 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	15.88 ft	April 4, 1977
2	14.64 ft	December 30, 1969
3	12.63 ft	March 18, 2002
4	12.30 ft	January 11, 1974
5	12.13 ft	February 6, 2020
6	12.07 ft	November 28, 1973
7	11.96 ft	March 16, 1973
8	11.64 ft	December 2, 1991
9	11.62 ft	April 28, 1970
10	11.61 ft	May 7, 1971

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.06 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 64° 35° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 65° 45° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 67° 45° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 68° 46° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 66° 46° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 69° 46° – Wind 4 mph

24 Sat 71° 47° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:43 AM Sunset 06:53 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min First quarter 52%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Fork Kentucky River at WhitesburgRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	1.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	14 mi
Powell River at Big Stone GapRiver gauge, Powell River	51.6 cfs	Normal	−2.7 cfs	14 mi
Martin's Fork near HarlanRiver gauge, Martin's Fork	66.0 cfs	Normal	±0	20 mi
Martins Fork near SmithRiver gauge, Martins Fork	44.7 cfs	Normal	±0	21 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at HazardRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	4.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	22 mi
Cutshin Creek at WootonRiver gauge, Cutshin Creek	18.5 cfs	Normal	−1.3 cfs	22 mi
Cumberland River near HarlanRiver gauge, Cumberland River	178 cfs	Normal	+7.0 cfs	22 mi
Powell River near JonesvilleRiver gauge, Powell River	1.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	22 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Poor Fork at Cumberland?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 8.43 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 Poor Fork at Cumberland today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:30 PM EDT, the water level was 3.57 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Poor Fork at Cumberland rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Poor Fork at Cumberland normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Poor Fork at Cumberland?

The highest level on record is 15.88 ft on April 4, 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:03400500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.97398, -82.99294 (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	3.57 ft	2026-10-18 19:30	Provisional
Flow	46.4 cfs	2026-10-18 19:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Poor Fork at Cumberland (usgs:03400500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/poor-fork-at-cumberland

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