Buckhannon River at Alton water level

Name: Buckhannon River at Alton 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, Buckhannon River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

6.21ft Down 0.29 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:30 PM EDT (13 min ago)

Flow: 370 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Buckhannon River at Alton reads 6.21 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.79 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.29 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 6.21 ft and 6.91 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: 15.50 ftJune 19, 1998
Lowest on record: 2.70 ftMay 18, 1999

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 14.00 ft, still 7.79 ft away.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Most of Alton near the river is flooded. Water overflows the Route 32 bridge. Route 32 is impassable in Alton.
15.00 ft: House next to Route 32 bridge, low areas, and homes near the river are flooded between 15 and 18 feet. Low section of Route 32 in Alton is flooded.
14.00 ft: Water is at the bottom of a house on the right bank next to the Alton Route 32 bridge. Low areas are flooded near the Buckhannon River and along Big Run Creek.
6.21 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.50 ft	June 19, 1998
2	14.29 ft	February 6, 2025
3	14.18 ft	February 9, 1994
4	13.00 ft	August 23, 1989
5	12.59 ft	January 31, 2013
6	12.15 ft	February 19, 2000
7	11.96 ft	July 28, 1992
8	11.49 ft	June 24, 2016
9	11.35 ft	February 23, 2003
10	11.14 ft	December 2, 1991

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:38 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 62%

Map

Other gauges on the Buckhannon River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Buckhannon River at BuckhannonRiver gauge, Buckhannon River	7.86 ft	Below flood stage	−1.02 ft	13 mi
Buckhannon River at HallRiver gauge, Buckhannon River	983 cfs	Very high	−347.0 cfs	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Fork River at EllamoreRiver gauge, Middle Fork River	4.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.57 ft	10 mi
Middle Fork River at AdolphRiver gauge, Middle Fork River	4.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	10 mi
Sand Run near BuckhannonRiver gauge, Sand Run	2.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	11 mi
West Fork River at WalkersvilleRiver gauge, West Fork River	3.63 ft	Normal	−0.24 ft	14 mi
Middle Fork River at AudraRiver gauge, Middle Fork River	4.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.21 ft	17 mi
Little Kanawha River near WildcatRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	211 cfs	High	−68.0 cfs	18 mi
Tygart Valley River near DaileyRiver gauge, Tygart Valley River	2.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.55 ft	18 mi
Stonewall Jackson Lake near WestonLake, Stonewall Jackson Lake	1,072.28 ft	Very high	−0.18 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Buckhannon River at Alton?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 7.79 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 Buckhannon River at Alton today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:30 PM EDT, the water level was 6.21 ft. Down 0.29 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Buckhannon River at Alton rising or falling?

Down 0.29 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Buckhannon River at Alton normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Buckhannon River at Alton?

The highest level on record is 15.50 ft on June 19, 1998. The lowest is 2.70 ft on May 18, 1999.

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:03052120 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.81964, -80.21389 (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	6.21 ft	2026-10-19 21:30	Provisional
Flow	370 cfs	2026-10-19 21:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buckhannon River at Alton (usgs:03052120). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/buckhannon-river-at-alton

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