Cayuga Creek near Lancaster water level

Name: Cayuga Creek near Lancaster 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, Cayuga Creek, New York, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.97ft Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 02:30 PM EDT (45 min ago)

Flow: 16.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.70 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:40 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Cayuga Creek near Lancaster, where the gauge shows 2.97 ft.

It is 5.03 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.16 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.70 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 2.81 ft – 3.97 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 13.35 ftJanuary 23, 1999
Forecast peak: 3.00 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 8.00 ft.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Major flood, protective dikes in town of Lancaster are topped. Major damages to commercial and residential areas in village of Lancaster. Widespread flooding in Alden, Marilla, and Cheektowaga, especially near Bowen Road, Transit Road, and Union Road including Williamstowne apartments.
10.00 ft: Moderate flood, flooding of backyards, basements and streets in Village of Lancaster. Some flooding of low lying areas in Alden, Marilla, and Cheektowaga, especially near Bowen Road and Transit Road. Some flooding possible near Union Road too.
8.00 ft: Flood stage, minor flooding in lowlying areas of Lancaster and Alden.
6.00 ft: Action stage, high flows. No flooding.
2.97 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	13.35 ft	January 23, 1999
2	12.36 ft	March 9, 1942
3	12.00 ft	March 24, 1941
4	11.74 ft	March 21, 1978
5	11.65 ft	February 19, 1948
6	11.06 ft	July 13, 2017
7	11.01 ft	March 3, 1945
8	10.76 ft	February 27, 1944
9	10.60 ft	January 27, 1962
10	10.48 ft	September 14, 1979

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.44 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 64° 39° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 60° 40° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 61° 36° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 62° 39° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 59° 41° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 63° 41° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 66° 42° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 61%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Buffalo Creek at GardenvilleRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek	0.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	6.2 mi
Cazenovia Creek at EbenezerRiver gauge, Cazenovia Creek	2.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	8 mi
Ellicott Creek below WilliamsvilleRiver gauge, Ellicott Creek	1.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	9 mi
Niagara River at Fort ErieRiver gauge, Niagara River	172.33 m	Normal	−0.06 m	22 km
Tonawanda Creek at RapidsRiver gauge, Tonawanda Creek	1.56 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	14 mi
Eighteenmile Creek at HamburgRiver gauge, Eighteenmile Creek	10.0 cfs	Low	−2.0 cfs	16 mi
Tonawanda Creek at AtticaRiver gauge, Tonawanda Creek	3.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	18 mi
South Branch Eighteenmile Creek at Bley Road at Eden ValleyRiver gauge, South Branch Eighteenmile Creek	4.6 cfs	Low	−1.6 cfs	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Cayuga Creek near Lancaster?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 5.03 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 Cayuga Creek near Lancaster today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:30 PM EDT, the water level was 2.97 ft. Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cayuga Creek near Lancaster rising or falling?

Down 0.16 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cayuga Creek near Lancaster normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cayuga Creek near Lancaster?

The highest level on record is 13.35 ft on January 23, 1999.

Is Cayuga Creek near Lancaster expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.70 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04215000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.89008, -78.64494 (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	2.97 ft	2026-10-19 18:30	Provisional
Flow	16.0 cfs	2026-10-19 18:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cayuga Creek near Lancaster (usgs:04215000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-york/cayuga-creek-near-lancaster

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