West Fork Little Kanawha River at Rocksdale water level

Name: West Fork Little Kanawha River at Rocksdale 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, West Fork Little Kanawha River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

6.27ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 07:30 PM EDT (21 min ago)

Flow: 98.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

The West Fork Little Kanawha River at Rocksdale is at 6.27 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 2.30 ft above the median of 3.97 ft for mid-October, based on 10 years of readings.

It has dropped 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 6.27 ft and 7.12 ft.

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

Compared with 10 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.97 ft2.30 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.37 ft – 14.87 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (10 years of records)
Highest on record: 31.55 ftMarch 2, 1997

Floating and fishing near West Fork Little Kanawha River at Rocksdale

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	31.55 ft	March 2, 1997
2	30.30 ft	April 16, 1939
3	28.60 ft	February 1, 1951
4	28.27 ft	January 26, 1978
5	27.33 ft	March 7, 1967
6	27.13 ft	December 9, 1978
7	27.05 ft	December 14, 1956
8	26.69 ft	March 6, 1989
9	26.33 ft	June 1, 1974
10	25.02 ft	December 30, 1942

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Kanawha River at GrantsvilleRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	8.72 ft	High	−0.82 ft	9 mi
South Fork Hughes River below MacfarlanRiver gauge, South Fork Hughes River	4.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	16 mi
Little Kanawha River at PalestineRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	15.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	17 mi
Little Kanawha River at GlenvilleRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	3.97 ft	Normal	−0.73 ft	22 mi
Elk River near FrametownRiver gauge, Elk River	3.96 ft	High	−0.39 ft	25 mi
Elk River at Queen ShoalsRiver gauge, Elk River	6.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	26 mi
Sand Fork near GlenvilleRiver gauge, Sand Fork	34.8 cfs	Very high	−7.1 cfs	27 mi
Elk River at ClayRiver gauge, Elk River	3.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.33 ft	28 mi

Questions and answers

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

The median for mid-October is 3.97 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.37 ft and 14.87 ft, based on 10 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 West Fork Little Kanawha River at Rocksdale today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 07:30 PM EDT, the water level was 6.27 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is West Fork Little Kanawha River at Rocksdale rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of West Fork Little Kanawha River at Rocksdale normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 10 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at West Fork Little Kanawha River at Rocksdale?

The highest level on record is 31.55 ft on March 2, 1997.

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:03154000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.84456, -81.22339 (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	6.27 ft	2026-10-20 23:30	Provisional
Flow	98.0 cfs	2026-10-20 23:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: West Fork Little Kanawha River at Rocksdale (usgs:03154000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/west-fork-little-kanawha-river-at-rocksdale

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