Little Kanawha River at Grantsville water level

Name: Little Kanawha River at Grantsville 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, Little Kanawha River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

8.79ft Down 0.78 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 9.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 08:48 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

High water at Little Kanawha River at Grantsville: the latest reading is 8.79 ft, above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 1.92 ft above the median of 6.87 ft for mid-October, based on 19 years of readings. It is 27.21 ft below the flood stage of 36.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.78 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 9.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 8.79 ft – 14.83 ft.

Compared with 19 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 6.87 ft1.92 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 6.35 ft – 9.66 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (19 years of records)
Highest on record: 35.72 ftApril 12, 2024
Lowest on record: 0.00 ftSeptember 10, 1930
Forecast peak: 9.00 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

For reference, flood stage is 36.00 ft.

What happens at each level

41.00 ft: Mini shopping center on WV State Route 16 adjacent to Philip Run floods due to backwater flooding.
40.50 ft: Homes along South River Street and Simon Street flood.
40.00 ft: Homes along River Street behind the old high school flood. Homes and businesses between River Street and Mill Street flood at 40 to 42 feet. This includes Court Street, Hardman Street, Florence Street, Elizabeth Street, and Margaret Street.
39.00 ft: Homes along River Street between the intersections with Hardman and Mill Streets flood.
38.50 ft: Gas utility company on Northside Road next to gage floods.
38.00 ft: Homes along WV State Route 5 north of Grantsville that are adjacent to the river flood.
36.00 ft: Homes along North River Street between Main Street and Mill Street flood. Baseball field on School Street floods.
8.79 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: 21 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	35.72 ft	April 12, 2024
2	34.31 ft	February 17, 2018

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:40 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Kanawha River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Kanawha River near WildcatRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	163 cfs	High	−48.0 cfs	33 mi
Little Kanawha River at BurnsvilleRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	4.08 ft	Normal	−0.20 ft	23 mi
Little Kanawha River at GlenvilleRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	3.98 ft	Normal	−0.86 ft	14 mi
Little Kanawha River at PalestineRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	15.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	18 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Fork Little Kanawha River at RocksdaleRiver gauge, West Fork Little Kanawha River	6.28 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	9 mi
South Fork Hughes River below MacfarlanRiver gauge, South Fork Hughes River	4.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	13 mi
Sand Fork near GlenvilleRiver gauge, Sand Fork	34.8 cfs	Very high	−8.2 cfs	19 mi
Elk River near FrametownRiver gauge, Elk River	3.99 ft	High	−0.37 ft	25 mi
Elk River at SuttonRiver gauge, Elk River	13.96 ft	High	−0.36 ft	27 mi
Birch River at HeroldRiver gauge, Birch River	3.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.39 ft	29 mi
Little Tygart Creek at Mineral WellsRiver gauge, Little Tygart Creek	1.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Little Kanawha River at Grantsville?

The official flood stage is 36.00 ft. The level is currently 27.21 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Little Kanawha River at Grantsville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.87 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.35 ft and 9.66 ft, based on 19 years of records.

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 Little Kanawha River at Grantsville today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 PM EDT, the water level was 8.79 ft. Down 0.78 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Kanawha River at Grantsville rising or falling?

Down 0.78 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Little Kanawha River at Grantsville normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 19 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Little Kanawha River at Grantsville?

The highest level on record is 35.72 ft on April 12, 2024. The lowest is 0.00 ft on September 10, 1930.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03153500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.92173, -81.09476 (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	8.79 ft	2026-10-20 21:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Kanawha River at Grantsville (usgs:03153500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/little-kanawha-river-at-grantsville

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