Allegheny River at Franklin water level

Name: Allegheny River at Franklin 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, Allegheny River, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.50ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:00 PM EDT (27 min ago)

Flow: 3,280 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.40 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 08:53 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Allegheny River at Franklin is at 3.50 ft, in the normal range.

It is 13.50 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.40 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 3.41 ft and 3.51 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 26.00 ftFebruary 26, 1926
Forecast peak: 3.50 ftSunday, October 18 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Allegheny River at Franklin

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

Flood stage here is 17.00 ft, 13.50 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

24.00 ft: Recreational Trail downstream from the Eighth Street bridge floods.
22.00 ft: The Plant along Elk Street and 1st Street floods.
20.80 ft: Two feet of water covers portions of Elk Street near 2nd and 3rd streets.
18.00 ft: Parts of Franklin-Oil City Road flood.
17.00 ft: Water begins to enter the rear of homes along Elk Street on the Allegheny River side of the street.
3.50 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	26.00 ft	February 26, 1926
2	26.00 ft	February 27, 1917
3	25.00 ft	March 17, 1865
4	20.60 ft	January 21, 1959
5	18.60 ft	March 10, 1964
6	18.30 ft	December 30, 1942
7	17.98 ft	March 31, 1960
8	16.90 ft	April 26, 1961
9	16.60 ft	January 19, 1996
10	15.84 ft	June 25, 1972

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.15 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 58° 34° – Wind 5 mph

19 Mon 62° 38° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 65° 42° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 64° 36° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 64° 38° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 65° 45° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 62° 38° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Allegheny River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Allegheny River at Kinzua DamRiver gauge, Allegheny River	2,310 cfs	Normal	−20.0 cfs	52 mi
Allegheny River below Conewango Creek at WarrenRiver gauge, Allegheny River	3.23 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	47 mi
Allegheny River at West HickoryRiver gauge, Allegheny River	3.91 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	25 mi
Allegheny River at ParkerRiver gauge, Allegheny River	2.56 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	21 mi
Allegheny River near RimerRiver gauge, Allegheny River	9.37 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	33 mi
Allegheny River at Lock & Dam 8 near TempletonRiver gauge, Allegheny River	9.54 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	39 mi
Allegheny River at KittanningRiver gauge, Allegheny River	10.62 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	42 mi
Allegheny River at Lock & Dam 6 at ClintonRiver gauge, Allegheny River	9.72 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	48 mi
Allegheny River below Lock & Dam 6 at ClintonRiver gauge, Allegheny River	9.73 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	48 mi
Allegheny River at Lock & Dam 5 near FreeportRiver gauge, Allegheny River	9.76 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	49 mi
Allegheny River below Lock & Dam 5 near FreeportRiver gauge, Allegheny River	11.60 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	49 mi
Allegheny River at NatronaRiver gauge, Allegheny River	11.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	54 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
French Creek at UticaRiver gauge, French Creek	305 cfs	Normal	+21.0 cfs	8 mi
Oil Creek at RousevilleRiver gauge, Oil Creek	2.38 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Tionesta Creek at Tionesta Creek DamRiver gauge, Tionesta Creek	1.25 ft	Below flood stage	±0	20 mi
Tionesta Creek Reservoir at Tionesta Creek DamReservoir, Tionesta Creek Reservoir	1,089.53 ft	Low	+0.08 ft	21 mi
Woodcock Creek at Blooming ValleyRiver gauge, Woodcock Creek	16.4 cfs	Normal	−5.3 cfs	24 mi
Clarion River near PineyRiver gauge, Clarion River	638 cfs	Normal	−49.0 cfs	24 mi
French Creek at MeadvilleRiver gauge, French Creek	2.27 ft	Below flood stage	+0.31 ft	24 mi
Woodcock Creek Lake near SaegertownLake, Woodcock Creek Lake	1,164.98 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	26 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Allegheny River at Franklin?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 13.50 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 Allegheny River at Franklin today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:00 PM EDT, the water level was 3.50 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Allegheny River at Franklin rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Allegheny River at Franklin normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Allegheny River at Franklin?

The highest level on record is 26.00 ft on February 26, 1926.

Is Allegheny River at Franklin expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.40 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03025500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.38950, -79.82033 (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	3.50 ft	2026-10-18 18:00	Provisional
Flow	3,280 cfs	2026-10-18 18:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Allegheny River at Franklin (usgs:03025500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/allegheny-river-at-franklin

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