Birch River at Herold water level

Name: Birch River at Herold 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, Birch River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.31ft Down 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:15 PM EDT (29 min ago)

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Birch River at Herold is at 4.31 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.69 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.24 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.31 ft and 4.88 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 18.03 ftJune 24, 2016

Floating and fishing near Birch River at Herold

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

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 7.69 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

23.00 ft: Highway bridge is flooded between 23 and 24 feet. Major flooding all along the river.
20.00 ft: Major flooding along the river. Homes, buildings and low areas along the river are flooded.
16.00 ft: Homes, buildings and camps on both sides of the river, both upstream and downstream of the highway bridge are flooded.
12.00 ft: Driveway and homes on the right bank both upstream and downstream of the highway bridge begin to flood.
4.31 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.03 ft	June 24, 2016
2	17.78 ft	June 23, 2016
3	13.70 ft	December 6, 2013
4	12.20 ft	March 1, 2021
5	11.72 ft	January 31, 2013
6	11.32 ft	March 5, 2015
7	11.31 ft	March 5, 2015
8	10.81 ft	January 31, 2013
9	10.09 ft	February 11, 2020

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 54%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elk River near FrametownRiver gauge, Elk River	4.46 ft	High	−0.60 ft	4.7 mi
Elk River at SuttonRiver gauge, Elk River	14.48 ft	High	−0.80 ft	8 mi
Elk River below Webster SpringsRiver gauge, Elk River	5.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	17 mi
Elk River at ClayRiver gauge, Elk River	5.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.30 ft	17 mi
Gauley River at Camden on GauleyRiver gauge, Gauley River	4.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.51 ft	18 mi
Little Kanawha River near WildcatRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	265 cfs	Very high	−95.0 cfs	19 mi
Little Kanawha River at BurnsvilleRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	4.96 ft	High	−0.13 ft	21 mi
Gauley River near CraigsvilleRiver gauge, Gauley River	12.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.34 ft	21 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Birch River at Herold?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 7.69 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 Birch River at Herold today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:15 PM EDT, the water level was 4.31 ft. Down 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Birch River at Herold rising or falling?

Down 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Birch River at Herold normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Birch River at Herold?

The highest level on record is 18.03 ft on June 24, 2016.

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.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03196500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.57482, -80.80093 (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	4.31 ft	2026-10-19 01:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Birch River at Herold (usgs:03196500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/birch-river-at-herold

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