Elk River below Webster Springs water level

Name: Elk River below Webster Springs 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, Elk River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.37ft Down 0.27 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 1,020 cfs
Water temperature: 53 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Elk River below Webster Springs reads 5.37 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.63 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.27 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.37 ft and 5.65 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 53 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 26.34 ftSeptember 1, 1861
Lowest on record: 2.37 ftSeptember 22, 1959

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 13.00 ft, still 7.63 ft away.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: County Road 7 is flooded in several sections. Some homes and camps start to flood.
15.00 ft: Numerous spots along County Road 7 begin to flood.
13.00 ft: Bankfull. A few low spots along County Road 7 begin to flood.
5.37 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	26.34 ft	September 1, 1861
2	25.87 ft	July 26, 1896
3	17.36 ft	June 24, 2016
4	17.20 ft	November 4, 1985
5	16.02 ft	April 26, 1989
6	15.21 ft	January 19, 1996
7	13.97 ft	June 2, 1974
8	13.80 ft	July 31, 1996
9	13.76 ft	November 19, 2003
10	13.48 ft	February 9, 1994

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.22 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 53° 44° 0.14 in, 88% Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 60° 41° – Wind 4 mph

19 Mon 64° 44° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 64° 41° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 65° 43° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 63° 42° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 65° 41° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:36 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the Elk River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elk River at SuttonRiver gauge, Elk River	14.48 ft	High	−0.80 ft	13 mi
Elk River near FrametownRiver gauge, Elk River	4.41 ft	High	−0.64 ft	21 mi
Elk River at ClayRiver gauge, Elk River	4.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.58 ft	34 mi
Elk River at Queen ShoalsRiver gauge, Elk River	7.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	44 mi
Elk River at CharlestonRiver gauge, Elk River	4,130 cfs	Very high	−340.0 cfs	64 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Kanawha River near WildcatRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	252 cfs	Very high	−96.0 cfs	10 mi
Williams River at DyerRiver gauge, Williams River	2.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.39 ft	15 mi
Birch River at HeroldRiver gauge, Birch River	4.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	17 mi
Gauley River at Camden on GauleyRiver gauge, Gauley River	4.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.57 ft	17 mi
West Fork River at WalkersvilleRiver gauge, West Fork River	3.79 ft	High	−0.36 ft	19 mi
Cranberry River near RichwoodRiver gauge, Cranberry River	3.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.28 ft	21 mi
Little Kanawha River at BurnsvilleRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	4.95 ft	High	−0.12 ft	21 mi
Buckhannon River at AltonRiver gauge, Buckhannon River	6.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.33 ft	21 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Elk River below Webster Springs?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 7.63 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 below Webster Springs today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT, the water level was 5.37 ft. Down 0.27 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Elk River below Webster Springs rising or falling?

Down 0.27 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Elk River below Webster Springs normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Elk River below Webster Springs?

The highest level on record is 26.34 ft on September 1, 1861. The lowest is 2.37 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:03194700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.59733, -80.49036 (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	5.37 ft	2026-10-19 03:45	Provisional
Flow	1,020 cfs	2026-10-19 03:45	Provisional
Water temperature	53 °F	2026-10-19 03:45	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/12354?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Elk River below Webster Springs water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Elk River below Webster Springs (usgs:03194700). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/elk-river-below-webster-springs

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