South Fork Licking River at Kirkersville OH water level

Name: South Fork Licking River at Kirkersville 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

High for mid-October

Water level

4.72ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT (33 min ago)

Flow: 12.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at South Fork Licking River at Kirkersville OH shows 4.72 ft, above normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 4.72 ft and 4.79 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 14.00 ftMarch 20, 2020

What the stage means on the water

Fast, high water is not the time for casual paddling. Strainers, debris and cold water make an unplanned swim dangerous.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: All lanes are likely flooded along Interstate 70 just west of the State Route 37 exit. These impacts are observed about 4 hours after this level is reached at the South Fork Kirkersville gauge.
13.50 ft: Flooding likely on westbound lanes of Interstate 70 just west of State Route 37. Flooding also approaches Interstate 70 eastbound lanes, possibly spilling onto the roadway. These impacts are observed about 4 hours after this level is reached at the South Fork Kirkersville gauge.
13.00 ft: At stages above 13 feet, flooding approaches Interstate 70 just west of State Route 37. Some water may begin to extend onto westbound lanes.
12.00 ft: If a crest of this level combines with a Buckeye Lake level elevation of at least 892.5 feet, significant flooding occurs near Buckeye Lake Estates and the KOA campground. In addition, flooding occurs along Interstate 70 near State Route 79, with the interstate possibly closed completely for the duration of the flooding. The delay of onset of interstate flooding from a Kirkersville crest is from six to eight hours.
11.00 ft: If a crest of this level combines with a Buckeye Lake level elevation of at least 892.5 feet, significant flooding occurs near Buckeye Lake Estates and the KOA campground. In addition, flooding of exit ramps and both eastbound and westbound lanes occurs along Interstate 70 near Exit 129 at State Route 79.
10.00 ft: If a crest of this level combines with a Buckeye Lake level elevation of at least 892.5 feet, minor flooding occurs near Buckeye Lake Estates and the KOA campground. In addition, some flooding of exit ramps and possible eastbound lane restrictions occur along Interstate 70 near State Route 79.
4.72 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.00 ft	March 20, 2020
2	12.47 ft	July 13, 2017
3	11.68 ft	June 26, 2008
4	11.26 ft	February 18, 2022
5	10.52 ft	March 31, 2019
6	10.37 ft	April 3, 2024
7	10.21 ft	June 22, 2018
8	8.29 ft	December 19, 2008

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.08 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 67° 38° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 67° 40° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 66° 45° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 66° 44° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 67° 43° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 69° 47° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 69° 50° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:45 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on the South Fork Licking River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Licking River near Buckeye Lake OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	871.61 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	5.8 mi
South Fork Licking River near Hebron OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	2.21 ft	Below flood stage	±0	7 mi
South Fork Licking River at Heath OHRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	5.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	11 mi
South Fork Licking River at CynthianaRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	5.03 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	142 mi
South Fork Licking River at HayesRiver gauge, South Fork Licking River	129 cfs	Normal	+7.0 cfs	130 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Raccoon Creek near Granville OHRiver gauge, Raccoon Creek	2.96 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	8 mi
Blacklick Creek near Pickerington OHRiver gauge, Blacklick Creek	17.9 cfs	High	−3.0 cfs	11 mi
Raccoon Cr. below Wilson Street at Newark OHRiver gauge, Raccoon Cr.	5.25 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	12 mi
North Fork Licking River at Ohio Street, Newark OHRiver gauge, North Fork Licking River	3.44 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	13 mi
N. Fk. Licking River at E. Main St. at Newark OHRiver gauge, N. Fk. Licking River	2.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	13 mi
North Fork Licking River at Newark OHRiver gauge, North Fork Licking River	0.37 ft	High	±0	13 mi
Licking River near Newark OHRiver gauge, Licking River	3.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	15 mi

Questions and answers

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 Kirkersville OH today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT, the water level was 4.72 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

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

Steady over the last 24 hours.

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

High for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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

The highest level on record is 14.00 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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03144816 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.96361, -82.59861 (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	4.72 ft	2026-10-20 09:00	Provisional
Flow	12.4 cfs	2026-10-20 09:00	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/12437?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South Fork Licking River at Kirkersville OH water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Fork Licking River at Kirkersville OH (usgs:03144816). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/south-fork-licking-river-at-kirkersville-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