Rocky Branch at Whaley St at Columbia water level

Name: Rocky Branch at Whaley St at Columbia 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, Rocky Branch, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.09ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 PM EDT (55 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

Rocky Branch at Whaley St at Columbia is at 1.09 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.13 ft above the median of 0.96 ft for mid-October, based on 19 years of readings. It is 6.16 ft below the flood stage of 7.25 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.26 ft (−0.17 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.09 ft and 1.73 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 19 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.96 ft0.13 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.68 ft – 1.26 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (19 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.26 ft−0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.09 ft – 1.73 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.09 ft – 1.96 ft
Highest on record: 12.90 ftJuly 4, 2022

Floating and fishing near Rocky Branch at Whaley St at Columbia

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

Flood stage here is 7.25 ft, 6.16 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Water floods the intersection of Whaley and Main Streets to a depth of 4 feet.
8.00 ft: Water floods the intersection of Whaley and Main Street with approximately 6 inches of water covering the road.
7.50 ft: Flood stage, water gets out of Rocky Branch Creek channel.
1.09 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.90 ft	July 4, 2022
2	12.39 ft	September 25, 2011
3	12.28 ft	October 4, 2015
4	12.15 ft	July 23, 2017
5	12.04 ft	August 2, 2016
6	11.87 ft	July 22, 2009
7	11.76 ft	May 21, 2022
8	11.73 ft	July 22, 2013
9	11.63 ft	April 5, 2017
10	11.54 ft	September 24, 2015

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.16 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 77° 41° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 74° 48° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 77° 48° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 73° 53° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 71° 52° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 72° 51° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 76° 52° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:45 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on Rocky Branch

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rocky Branch at Pickens St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Rocky Branch	2.67 ft	Low	±0	0.6 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Congaree River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Congaree River	3.49 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	1.3 mi
Smith Branch at North Main St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Smith Branch	0.39 ft	Very low	±0	2.9 mi
Gills Creek at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Gills Creek	0.90 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	3.1 mi
Pen Branch at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Pen Branch	0.62 ft	Normal	±0	3.1 mi
Saluda River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River	3.26 ft	High	±0	3.9 mi
Broad River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Broad River	154.10 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	5.0 mi
Congaree Creek at South CongareeRiver gauge, Congaree Creek	2.67 ft	Very low	−0.79 ft	8 mi
Saluda River below Lake Murray Dam near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River	5.80 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	11 mi

Questions and answers

How does Rocky Branch at Whaley St at Columbia compare with last year?

It is 0.17 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.26 ft.

What is flood stage for Rocky Branch at Whaley St at Columbia?

The official flood stage is 7.25 ft. The level is currently 6.16 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Rocky Branch at Whaley St at Columbia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.96 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.68 ft and 1.26 ft, based on 19 years of records.

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 Rocky Branch at Whaley St at Columbia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 PM EDT, the water level was 1.09 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rocky Branch at Whaley St at Columbia rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.05 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Rocky Branch at Whaley St at Columbia normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 19 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02169506 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.98750, -81.02750 (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	1.09 ft	2026-10-20 21:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rocky Branch at Whaley St at Columbia (usgs:02169506). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/rocky-branch-at-whaley-st-at-columbia

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