Smith Branch at North Main St at Columbia water level

Name: Smith Branch at North Main 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, Smith Branch, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.39ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:15 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 1.2 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Smith Branch at North Main St at Columbia: the gauge reads 0.39 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.10 ft below the median of 0.49 ft for mid-October, based on 39 years of readings. It is 8.61 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 0.47 ft (−0.08 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.39 ft – 1.13 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 39 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.49 ft0.10 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.44 ft – 0.62 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (39 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.47 ft−0.08 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.39 ft – 1.13 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.38 ft – 1.59 ft
Highest on record: 18.87 ftOctober 4, 2015

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 9.00 ft.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.87 ft	October 4, 2015
2	15.12 ft	July 22, 2013
3	12.65 ft	August 1, 2016
4	11.91 ft	June 27, 2004
5	11.69 ft	June 11, 1995
6	11.51 ft	July 4, 1989
7	11.38 ft	July 4, 2022
8	11.00 ft	July 4, 1983
9	10.78 ft	September 24, 2015
10	10.65 ft	September 26, 2024

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.20 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 77° 42° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 74° 49° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 77° 49° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 73° 53° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 71° 53° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 72° 50° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 76° 53° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

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

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Broad River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Broad River	154.10 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	2.3 mi
Congaree River at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Congaree River	3.49 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	2.4 mi
Rocky Branch at Pickens St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Rocky Branch	2.67 ft	Low	±0	2.5 mi
Saluda River near ColumbiaRiver gauge, Saluda River	3.26 ft	High	±0	2.8 mi
Rocky Branch at Whaley St at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Rocky Branch	1.10 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	2.9 mi
Pen Branch at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Pen Branch	0.62 ft	Normal	±0	3.6 mi
Gills Creek at ColumbiaRiver gauge, Gills Creek	0.90 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	4.7 mi
Congaree Creek at South CongareeRiver gauge, Congaree Creek	2.67 ft	Very low	−0.79 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

How does Smith Branch at North Main St at Columbia compare with last year?

It is 0.08 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.47 ft.

What is flood stage for Smith Branch at North Main St at Columbia?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 8.61 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Smith Branch at North Main St at Columbia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.49 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.44 ft and 0.62 ft, based on 39 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 Smith Branch at North Main St at Columbia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:15 PM EDT, the water level was 0.39 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Smith Branch at North Main St at Columbia rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Smith Branch at North Main St at Columbia normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 39 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:02162093 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.02738, -81.04176 (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	0.39 ft	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional
Flow	1.2 cfs	2026-10-20 22:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Smith Branch at North Main St at Columbia (usgs:02162093). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/smith-branch-at-north-main-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