Genesee River at Wellsville water level

Name: Genesee River at Wellsville 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, Genesee River, New York, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.39ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:45 AM EDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 54.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.40 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Genesee River at Wellsville is at 4.39 ft, in the normal range.

It is 6.61 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.40 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 4.36 ft and 4.46 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 20.70 ftJune 23, 1972
Forecast peak: 4.40 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Genesee River at Wellsville

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

Flood stage here is 11.00 ft, 6.61 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Extreme flood, levee is topped at 19.9 feet. Widespread flooding along the river throughout Allegany County. Heavy residential damages including Wellsville. Evacuations necessary.
17.00 ft: Major flood, major flooding all along the Genesee River throughout Allegany County. Commercial and residential damages. Road closures. Levee continues to protect most of Wellsville to 19.9 feet.
14.00 ft: Moderate flood, general flooding along the river in lowlying areas throughout Allegany County. Some residential and commercial damages. The levee protects most of Wellsville.
11.00 ft: Flood stage, banks overflow and begin to flood lowlying areas outside the levees in places such as Scio. Minor damages.
9.00 ft: Action stage, high flows. No flooding.
4.39 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: 8 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.70 ft	June 23, 1972
2	16.20 ft	November 25, 1950
3	16.13 ft	January 19, 1996
4	14.90 ft	January 22, 1959
5	14.80 ft	March 5, 1964
6	14.40 ft	May 28, 1946
7	13.80 ft	December 6, 1972
8	13.60 ft	October 28, 1981
9	13.26 ft	June 20, 1989
10	13.10 ft	February 26, 1961

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 64° 37° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 60° 39° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 61° 35° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 61° 35° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 56° 37° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 56° 34° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 60° 35° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 58%

Map

Other gauges on the Genesee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Genesee River at PortagevilleRiver gauge, Genesee River	9.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	31 mi
Genesee River near Mount MorrisRiver gauge, Genesee River	592 cfs	Normal	−33.0 cfs	45 mi
Genesee River at AvonRiver gauge, Genesee River	15.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.44 ft	56 mi
Genesee River at Ballantyne Bridge near MortimerRiver gauge, Genesee River	11.82 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	69 mi
Genesee River at Ford Street Bridge, RochesterRiver gauge, Genesee River	906 cfs	Normal	+137 cfs	73 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Oswayo Creek at ShinglehouseRiver gauge, Oswayo Creek	13.6 cfs	Low	−2.1 cfs	17 mi
Almond Lake near AlmondLake, Almond Lake	1,257.02 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	20 mi
Canacadea Creek near HornellRiver gauge, Canacadea Creek	1.01 ft	Below flood stage	±0	20 mi
Canisteo River below Canacadea Creek at HornellRiver gauge, Canisteo River	0.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	20 mi
Dodge Creek at PortvilleRiver gauge, Dodge Creek	2.91 ft	Very low	±0	21 mi
Arkport Reservoir near ArkportReservoir, Arkport Reservoir	1,227.17 ft	Very low	±0	22 mi
Canisteo River at ArkportRiver gauge, Canisteo River	5.4 cfs	Normal	−1.5 cfs	23 mi
Allegheny River at EldredRiver gauge, Allegheny River	2.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Genesee River at Wellsville?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 6.61 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 Genesee River at Wellsville today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:45 AM EDT, the water level was 4.39 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Genesee River at Wellsville rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Genesee River at Wellsville normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Genesee River at Wellsville?

The highest level on record is 20.70 ft on June 23, 1972.

Is Genesee River at Wellsville expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.40 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:04221000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.12228, -77.95728 (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	4.39 ft	2026-10-19 10:45	Provisional
Flow	54.4 cfs	2026-10-19 10:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Genesee River at Wellsville (usgs:04221000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-york/genesee-river-at-wellsville

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