Village Creek at Avenue W at Ensley water level

Name: Village Creek at Avenue W at Ensley 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, Village Creek, Alabama, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.11ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT (22 min ago)

Flow: 37.0 cfs
Water temperature: 66 °F

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 Village Creek at Avenue W at Ensley reads 2.11 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

That puts it 0.08 ft below the median of 2.20 ft for mid-October, based on 44 years of readings. It is 7.89 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.08 ft (+0.03 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.02 ft and 4.14 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 66 °F.

Compared with 44 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.20 ft0.08 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.98 ft – 2.61 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (44 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.08 ft+0.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.02 ft – 4.14 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.99 ft – 5.01 ft
Highest on record: 14.80 ftDecember 3, 1983

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 10.00 ft, still 7.89 ft away.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Serious residential flooding occurs in the Ensley area. Persons in low-lying areas near the creek should move to higher ground at once.
13.00 ft: Residential flooding occurs in the Ensley area and evacuations will likely be necessary. Persons in low lying areas near the creek should move to higher ground.
12.50 ft: Residential flooding begins and evacuations may become necessary. Persons in low-lying areas near the creek should move to higher ground.
11.50 ft: Avenue W and other local streets in the area become impassable.
11.00 ft: Sections of the road in the digest area of the water treatment plant are flooded. Additional flooding in the digest area of the water treatment plant occurs and increases as the creek level rises.
10.00 ft: Flooding of low-lying areas begins in Ensley and Pratt City. The water treatment plant west of Pratt City begins to flood along the road near the digest area of the plant on the north side of the creek.
2.11 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.80 ft	December 3, 1983
2	14.57 ft	September 5, 2011
3	14.28 ft	February 6, 2004
4	14.22 ft	June 20, 2021
5	14.00 ft	April 13, 1979
6	13.96 ft	March 11, 2000
7	13.90 ft	May 19, 1983
8	13.79 ft	January 26, 1979
9	13.72 ft	January 26, 1996
10	13.70 ft	February 26, 1996

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 77° 41° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 78° 47° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 77° 52° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 78° 55° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 75° 56° – Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 74° 55° – Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 74° 55° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:57 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 11 hr, 13 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on Village Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Village Creek at 86th St North at RoebuckRiver gauge, Village Creek	1.15 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Village Creek near Pratt City, AlabamaRiver gauge, Village Creek	1.21 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	0.8 mi
Village Creek near Docena, AlabamaRiver gauge, Village Creek	1.24 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	3.4 mi
Village Creek near AdamsvilleRiver gauge, Village Creek	65.8 cfs	Normal	±0	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Valley Creek at Ave W near EnsleyRiver gauge, Valley Creek	3.88 ft	Below flood stage	±0	1.8 mi
Valley Creek at Center St at BirminghamRiver gauge, Valley Creek	1.53 ft	Below flood stage	±0	2.6 mi
Fivemile Creek near RepublicRiver gauge, Fivemile Creek	1.10 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	5.5 mi
Shades Creek near HomewoodRiver gauge, Shades Creek	3.48 ft	Normal	±0	6.1 mi
TRIB TO VILLAGE CREEK AT 50th ST IN BIRMINGHAMRiver gauge	0.42 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	7 mi
Valley Creek near BessemerRiver gauge, Valley Creek	5.54 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	9 mi
Shades Creek at Elder St near SpringdaleRiver gauge, Shades Creek	1.3 cfs	Normal	+0.2 cfs	9 mi

Questions and answers

How does Village Creek at Avenue W at Ensley compare with last year?

It is 0.03 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.08 ft.

What is flood stage for Village Creek at Avenue W at Ensley?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.89 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Village Creek at Avenue W at Ensley in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.20 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.98 ft and 2.61 ft, based on 44 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 Village Creek at Avenue W at Ensley today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:15 PM CDT, the water level was 2.11 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Village Creek at Avenue W at Ensley rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Village Creek at Avenue W at Ensley normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 44 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:02458450 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.51765, -86.87916 (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	2.11 ft	2026-10-20 23:15	Provisional
Flow	37.0 cfs	2026-10-20 23:15	Provisional
Water temperature	66 °F	2026-10-20 23:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Village Creek at Avenue W at Ensley (usgs:02458450). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alabama/village-creek-at-avenue-w-at-ensley

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