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SwedenElk River at Clay water level
River gauge, Elk River, West Virginia, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
History
What this means
Water levels are unremarkable at Elk River at Clay, where the gauge shows 5.20 ft.
It is 12.80 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft.
It is still going down, by 0.25 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.20 ft – 6.67 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
- 32.40 ftMarch 14, 1918
- Lowest on record
- −0.13 ftSeptember 22, 1959
Paddling and fishing conditions
Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.
For reference, flood stage is 18.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 30.00 ft
- Most business and buildings in Clay next to the river are flooded. Major flooding occurring.
- 29.00 ft
- Route 16 in Clay starts to flood. Some business in town are flooded. Several sections of Elkhurst/Elk River Road and some camps near the river are flooded.
- 25.00 ft
- The low end of the vacant car dealership, hardware store, more homes in Pisgah section, and in the northern end of Clay are flooded. Sections of Elkhurst/Elk River Road and some camps near the river are flooded.
- 20.00 ft
- Homes in the Pisgah section of Clay, and a few homes on the north side of Clay are flooded between 20 and 22 feet. Sections of Elkhurst/Elk River Road are flooded.
- 18.00 ft
- Water floods some basements near and downstream from the Pisgah Pridge. Sections of Elkhurst/Elk River Road start to flood.
- 5.20 ft
- Right now
Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.
Highest crests on record
Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 8 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32.40 ft | March 14, 1918 |
| 2 | 31.00 ft | January 1, 1861 |
| 3 | 30.30 ft | June 24, 2016 |
| 4 | 26.60 ft | February 5, 1932 |
| 5 | 26.50 ft | July 4, 1932 |
| 6 | 25.40 ft | February 4, 1939 |
| 7 | 23.60 ft | May 12, 1924 |
| 8 | 23.50 ft | April 16, 1932 |
| 9 | 23.00 ft | March 1, 1997 |
| 10 | 23.00 ft | October 3, 1929 |
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 0.21 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the Elk River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk River below Webster SpringsRiver gauge, Elk River | 5.40 ft | Below flood stage | −0.25 ft | 34 mi |
| Elk River at SuttonRiver gauge, Elk River | 14.48 ft | High | −0.80 ft | 25 mi |
| Elk River near FrametownRiver gauge, Elk River | 4.49 ft | High | −0.58 ft | 14 mi |
| Elk River at Queen ShoalsRiver gauge, Elk River | 7.60 ft | Below flood stage | −0.17 ft | 11 mi |
| Elk River at CharlestonRiver gauge, Elk River | 4,140 cfs | Very high | −600.0 cfs | 30 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peters Creek near LockwoodRiver gauge, Peters Creek | 48.9 cfs | Very high | −16.4 cfs | 14 mi |
| Gauley River above BelvaRiver gauge, Gauley River | 4.48 ft | Below flood stage | −0.03 ft | 16 mi |
| Birch River at HeroldRiver gauge, Birch River | 4.34 ft | Below flood stage | −0.21 ft | 17 mi |
| Little Sandy Creek near ElkviewRiver gauge, Little Sandy Creek | 24.0 cfs | Very high | −15.8 cfs | 22 mi |
| Kanawha River at Kanawha FallsRiver gauge, Kanawha River | 5.54 ft | Below flood stage | −0.48 ft | 23 mi |
| Meadow River at NallenRiver gauge, Meadow River | 5.26 ft | Below flood stage | −0.14 ft | 27 mi |
| Gauley River near CraigsvilleRiver gauge, Gauley River | 12.46 ft | Below flood stage | −0.34 ft | 27 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Elk River at Clay?
The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 12.80 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 Elk River at Clay today?
On Oct 18, 2026, 08:00 PM EDT, the water level was 5.20 ft. Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Elk River at Clay rising or falling?
Down 0.25 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Elk River at Clay normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Elk River at Clay?
The highest level on record is 32.40 ft on March 14, 1918. The lowest is −0.13 ft on September 22, 1959.
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:03196800(Agency page)- Coordinates
38.46066, -81.08761(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 | 5.20 ft | 2026-10-19 00:00 | Provisional |
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Elk River at Clay (usgs:03196800). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/elk-river-at-clay
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