Clifty Creek near Columbus water level

Name: Clifty Creek near Columbus 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, Clifty Creek, Indiana, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.52ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT (50 min ago)

Flow: 28.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Clifty Creek near Columbus, where the gauge shows 4.52 ft.

It is 12.48 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 4.52 ft – 4.74 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: 22.17 ftJune 7, 2008

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 17.00 ft.

What happens at each level

23.00 ft: Major flooding in progress along Clifty Creek. Water levels above those of June 2008. US Highway 31 and SR 46 remain open according to Columbus Response Plan.
20.00 ft: Extensive flooding of Clifty Park in the Columbus area. Flooding of homes in Newbern and around Petersville. Sunland Road and Indiana 9 near Newbern remained flooded.
18.50 ft: Gladstone Avenue is flooded where it crosses Clifty Creek according to Columbus Response Plan.
9.00 ft: Backwater from East Fork White River will occur at this level and lower when the East Fork White River at Columbus is 10 feet and higher.
4.52 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.17 ft	June 7, 2008
2	21.37 ft	June 20, 2021
3	20.54 ft	August 5, 2009
4	19.56 ft	April 6, 2025
5	19.50 ft	February 8, 2019
6	19.27 ft	August 13, 2026
7	19.16 ft	July 14, 2015
8	18.94 ft	April 4, 2018
9	18.61 ft	March 19, 2008
10	18.34 ft	December 22, 2013

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.12 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 53° 40° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 62° 37° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 69° 38° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 70° 46° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 70° 46° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 71° 47° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 73° 46° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:59 AM Sunset 06:59 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on Clifty Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Clifty Creek at HartsvilleRiver gauge, Clifty Creek	0.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	11 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Haw Creek at East ColumbusRiver gauge, Haw Creek	2.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	2.2 mi
East Fork White River at ColumbusRiver gauge, East Fork White River	−3.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	2.9 mi
Flatrock River at ColumbusRiver gauge, Flatrock River	2.99 ft	Normal	±0	4.4 mi
Haw Creek near CliffordRiver gauge, Haw Creek	3.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	5.8 mi
Haw Creek at HopeRiver gauge, Haw Creek	1.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Driftwood River near EdinburghRiver gauge, Driftwood River	2.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	12 mi
Sugar Creek near EdinburghRiver gauge, Sugar Creek	4.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	14 mi
East Fork White River at SeymourRiver gauge, East Fork White River	3.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	14 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Clifty Creek near Columbus?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 12.48 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 Clifty Creek near Columbus today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT, the water level was 4.52 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Clifty Creek near Columbus rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Clifty Creek near Columbus normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Clifty Creek near Columbus?

The highest level on record is 22.17 ft on June 7, 2008.

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:03364650 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.18532, -85.87496 (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	4.52 ft	2026-10-20 09:15	Provisional
Flow	28.8 cfs	2026-10-20 09:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Clifty Creek near Columbus (usgs:03364650). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/indiana/clifty-creek-near-columbus

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