South Fork Licking River at Heath OH water level

Name: South Fork Licking River at Heath OH 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, South Fork Licking River, Ohio, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.07ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT (60 min ago)

Flow: 38.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at South Fork Licking River at Heath OH, where the gauge shows 5.07 ft.

It is 10.93 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.03 ft – 5.19 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: 21.06 ftMarch 20, 2020

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 16.00 ft.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Widespread flooding of homes occurs along Licking View Drive and several adjacent subdivisions, as well as some flooding of homes along and near Irving Wick Drive East. Significant flooding of homes along and near Amber Lane occurs. Flooding of about half of Holly Park Estates occurs.
21.00 ft: Water at least one foot deep affects all but the northern extent of Glenwood subdivision, as well as Huron Drive West, Livingston Court, with some water affecting Huron Drive. Most of Licking View Drive is under water with several homes along Licking View near Creekview Drive flooded. Homes along Hopewell are flooded. Homes along and near Amber Lane are flooded, with water approaching homes from a flooded Irving Wick Drive East. Homes along Holly Park Drive and Roberston Drive Southeast are flooded.
20.00 ft: This is very close to the FEMA 1 percent flood. Extensive flooding along Licking View Drive, with water reaching to several homes within the Glenwood subdivision area along Woodsedge Circle, Hillview and Wildwood Courts. Most of Huron Drive West, some of Huron Drive, and Creekview Drives are affected. Homes along Hopewell Drive incur flooding, as well as Roberston Drive SE and Holly Park Estates. Water covers portions of Irving Wick Drive East and the southeast side of the Heath High Stadium.
19.00 ft: Much of Licking View Drive is flooded, with water approaching homes along Licking View near Creekview Drive. Homes are impacted near Hillview Court, Huron Drive West, Livingston Court and Wildwood Court. Irving Wick Drive East is flooded near the river. Hoback Park and Forry Reserve are covered by several feet of water. Robertson Drive Southeast is flooded, as well as Holly Park Estate.
18.00 ft: Water covers properties along Licking View Drive, especially near Hopewell Drive. Several properties along Licking View Drive are flooded, though no structures are flooded. Portions of South Fork Road near Irving Wick Drive are flooded, as well as Hobak Park and Forry Preserve, with water crossing Licking View Drive and approaching the football stadium behind Heath High School.
17.00 ft: Some areas of Licking View Drive near Livingston Court are flooded. The soccer and baseball fields of Hobak Park are also flooded.
16.00 ft: Water inundates low areas of Hobak Park and approaches portions of Licking View Drive.
5.07 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.06 ft	March 20, 2020
2	19.01 ft	August 20, 2026
3	18.70 ft	April 3, 2024
4	17.79 ft	July 13, 2017
5	17.59 ft	March 15, 2012
6	16.52 ft	February 18, 2022
7	16.46 ft	August 17, 2026
8	13.56 ft	July 2, 2014

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.41 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 65° 35° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 65° 40° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 67° 41° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 65° 42° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 66° 43° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 67° 44° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 67° 44° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:46 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the South Fork Licking River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Licking River at Kirkersville OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	12.4 cfs	High	−3.5 cfs	11 mi
South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	871.61 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	8 mi
South Fork Licking River near Hebron OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	2.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	4.7 mi
South Fork Licking River at CynthianaRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	5.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	152 mi
South Fork Licking River at HayesRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	131 cfs	Normal	−3.0 cfs	141 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Raccoon Cr. below Wilson Street at Newark OHRiver gauge, Raccoon Cr.	5.25 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	1.0 mi
North Fork Licking River at Ohio Street, Newark OHRiver gauge, North Fork Licking River	3.45 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	1.6 mi
N. Fk. Licking River at E. Main St. at Newark OHRiver gauge, N. Fk. Licking River	2.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	1.8 mi
North Fork Licking River at Newark OHRiver gauge, North Fork Licking River	0.36 ft	High	−0.02 ft	3.4 mi
Licking River near Newark OHRiver gauge, Licking River	3.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	4.2 mi
Raccoon Creek near Granville OHRiver gauge, Raccoon Creek	2.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	8 mi
North Fork Licking River at Utica OHRiver gauge, North Fork Licking River	54.5 cfs	High	−6.0 cfs	13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Fork Licking River at Heath OH?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 10.93 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 South Fork Licking River at Heath OH today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT, the water level was 5.07 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Fork Licking River at Heath OH rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Fork Licking River at Heath OH normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Fork Licking River at Heath OH?

The highest level on record is 21.06 ft on March 20, 2020.

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:03145173 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.03750, -82.41333 (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	5.07 ft	2026-10-19 21:15	Provisional
Flow	38.6 cfs	2026-10-19 21:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/10615?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South Fork Licking River at Heath OH water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Licking River at Heath OH (usgs:03145173). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/south-fork-licking-river-at-heath-oh

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