Juniata River at Lewistown water level

Name: Juniata River at Lewistown 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, Juniata River, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.35ft Down 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 PM EDT (35 min ago)

Flow: 1,740 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:06 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Juniata River at Lewistown is at 4.35 ft, in the normal range.

It is 18.65 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.26 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 4.35 ft and 5.02 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 42.10 ftJune 23, 1972
Forecast peak: 4.40 ftSunday, October 18 at 08:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Juniata River at Lewistown

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

Flood stage here is 23.00 ft, 18.65 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

43.30 ft: Flood of record from June 1889. FEMA 0.2% Annual Chance Flood Level (500-year flood).
34.50 ft: FEMA 1% Annual Chance Flood Level (100-year flood). Widespread inundation occurs on both banks of the river. A large portion of Lewistown is affected by flood waters.
32.00 ft: The right, or south bank begins to overflow. Expect water up to 6 feet deep in houses on West Elizabeth Street. Expect water up to 2 feet deep in houses on South Main Street.
31.00 ft: FEMA 2% Annual Chance Flood Level (50-year flood).
30.00 ft: Widespread inundation occurs in and around Lewistown. Water reaches South Main Street.
28.00 ft: Considerable flood damage occurs to homes and businesses in and around lewistown.
27.00 ft: Several homes on West Elizabeth Street will flood. Route 22 is also affected.
25.00 ft: Basement flooding occurs in the low lying areas adjacent to the river and Kishacoquillas creek. Athletic fields will be inundated.
24.50 ft: FEMA 10% Annual Chance Flood Level (10-year flood).
23.00 ft: Basements of a few homes in the lowest lying areas will flood. Backwater on Kishacoquillas Creek will affect the athletic fields.
4.35 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: 15 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	42.10 ft	June 23, 1972
2	32.00 ft	November 26, 1950
3	31.68 ft	September 19, 2004
4	31.63 ft	January 20, 1996
5	27.40 ft	February 15, 1984
6	23.60 ft	November 8, 1997
7	23.30 ft	April 3, 1970
8	23.00 ft	September 11, 2018
9	22.40 ft	November 29, 1993
10	21.34 ft	March 26, 1994

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 43° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 59° 38° – Wind 3 mph

19 Mon 65° 41° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 66° 41° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 63° 38° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 63° 38° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 64° 42° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 55%

Map

Other gauges on the Juniata River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Juniata River at HuntingdonRiver gauge, Juniata River	1.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	24 mi
Juniata River at Mapleton DepotRiver gauge, Juniata River	3.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	23 mi
Juniata River at NewportRiver gauge, Juniata River	4.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	25 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kishacoquillas Creek at ReedsvilleRiver gauge, Kishacoquillas Creek	188 cfs	High	−21.0 cfs	4.2 mi
Tuscarora Creek near Port RoyalRiver gauge, Tuscarora Creek	3.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	10 mi
Bixler Run near LoysvilleRiver gauge, Bixler Run	7.5 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	18 mi
Spring Creek at HouservilleRiver gauge, Spring Creek	56.3 cfs	High	−3.4 cfs	21 mi
Spring Creek near AxemannRiver gauge, Spring Creek	76.3 cfs	Normal	−4.9 cfs	23 mi
Rays Br Juniata R below Rays Dam near HuntingdonRiver gauge, Rays Br Juniata R	602 cfs	Normal	+5.0 cfs	24 mi
Raystown Lake near HuntingdonLake, Raystown Lake	786.14 ft	High	−0.04 ft	25 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Juniata River at Lewistown?

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 18.65 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 Juniata River at Lewistown today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:30 PM EDT, the water level was 4.35 ft. Down 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Juniata River at Lewistown rising or falling?

Down 0.26 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Juniata River at Lewistown normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Juniata River at Lewistown?

The highest level on record is 42.10 ft on June 23, 1972.

Is Juniata River at Lewistown expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01564895 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.59444, -77.58278 (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	4.35 ft	2026-10-19 01:30	Provisional
Flow	1,740 cfs	2026-10-19 01:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Juniata River at Lewistown (usgs:01564895). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/juniata-river-at-lewistown

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