South Saluda River near Rocky Bottom water level

Name: South Saluda River near Rocky Bottom 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 Saluda River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

0.89ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 14.7 cfs
Water temperature: 55 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

At 0.89 ft, the South Saluda River near Rocky Bottom is below normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.88 ft and 0.98 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 55 °F.

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

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 62° 49° – Wind 21 mph

18 Sun 61° 43° – Wind 11 mph

19 Mon 71° 42° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 75° 50° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 71° 51° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 73° 50° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 72° 51° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:51 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the South Saluda River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Saluda River near ClevelandRiver gauge, South Saluda River	2.03 ft	Normal	±0	3.1 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Slicking Creek near Rocky BottomRiver gauge, Slicking Creek	6.5 cfs	Normal	±0	0.6 mi
Table Rock Reservoir near ClevelandReservoir, Table Rock Reservoir	42.08 ft	Normal	−0.05 ft	1.9 mi
Table Rock Reservoir Tailrace near ClevelandRiver gauge, Table Rock Reservoir Tailrace	2.8 cfs	Low	±0	1.9 mi
Eastatoee Creek on Cleo Chapman Highway near SunsetRiver gauge, Eastatoee Creek on Cleo Chapman Highway	1.90 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	8 mi
French Broad River at RosmanRiver gauge, French Broad River	2.08 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Middle Saluda River near ClevelandRiver gauge, Middle Saluda River	1.59 ft	Very low	+0.06 ft	10 mi
North Saluda River above SlaterRiver gauge, North Saluda River	4.49 ft	High	±0	14 mi
Davidson River near BrevardRiver gauge, Davidson River	0.72 ft	Normal	−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 Saluda River near Rocky Bottom today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:45 PM EDT, the water level was 0.89 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Saluda River near Rocky Bottom rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Saluda River near Rocky Bottom normal?

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

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:021622845 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.06082, -82.70435 (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	0.89 ft	2026-10-20 16:45	Provisional
Flow	14.7 cfs	2026-10-20 16:45	Provisional
Water temperature	55 °F	2026-10-20 16:45	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/9396?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South Saluda River near Rocky Bottom water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Saluda River near Rocky Bottom (usgs:021622845). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/south-saluda-river-near-rocky-bottom

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