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SwedenBarren River at Bowling Green water level
River gauge, Barren River, Kentucky, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 277 cfs
History
The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.00 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:25 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
Water levels are unremarkable at Barren River at Bowling Green, where the gauge shows 4.05 ft.
It is 23.95 ft below the flood stage of 28.00 ft.
It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.00 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 PM. The 30-day range is 4.05 ft – 4.57 ft.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 52.20 ftJanuary 8, 1913
- Forecast peak
- 4.10 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM
Paddling and fishing conditions
Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.
For reference, flood stage is 28.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 61.00 ft
- Surface of US 68 bridge floods.
- 53.00 ft
- Large sections of the city flood. Travel is impossible in some areas.
- 48.00 ft
- Water treatment plant is shut down.
- 43.00 ft
- Approaches to KY 185 bridge flood.
- 36.00 ft
- Several homes along river begin to flood.
- 34.00 ft
- Most of Beech Bend Park floods.
- 30.00 ft
- Boat Landing Road is impassable.
- 23.00 ft
- Parks begin to flood. Most of Thomas Landing and Weldon Peete Park flood.
- 4.05 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 | 52.20 ft | January 8, 1913 |
| 2 | 49.55 ft | March 1, 1962 |
| 3 | 46.00 ft | January 1, 1937 |
| 4 | 44.63 ft | March 24, 1952 |
| 5 | 43.69 ft | May 3, 2010 |
| 6 | 42.75 ft | March 13, 1975 |
| 7 | 42.07 ft | January 30, 1957 |
| 8 | 41.67 ft | June 24, 1969 |
| 9 | 40.46 ft | March 23, 1955 |
| 10 | 39.82 ft | February 15, 1948 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Barren River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barren River near FinneyRiver gauge, Barren River | 78.77 ft | No reference yet | ±0 | 18 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drakes Creek near AlvatonRiver gauge, Drakes Creek | 4.09 ft | Below flood stage | −0.04 ft | 8 mi |
| Green River at Lock 4 at WoodburyRiver gauge, Green River | 3.11 ft | Below flood stage | −0.07 ft | 16 mi |
| Barren River Lake near FinneyLake, Barren River Lake | 550.76 ft | Below flood stage | −0.06 ft | 19 mi |
| West Fork Drakes Creek near FranklinRiver gauge, West Fork Drakes Creek | 5.6 cfs | Low | ±0 | 20 mi |
| Nolin River at KyrockRiver gauge, Nolin River | 17.38 ft | Very low | ±0 | 21 mi |
| Green River at Mammoth CaveRiver gauge, Green River | 9.11 ft | Normal | −0.28 ft | 21 mi |
| Nolin Lake near KyrockLake, Nolin Lake | 514.58 ft | Below flood stage | −0.03 ft | 22 mi |
| Green River at RochesterRiver gauge, Green River | 29.01 ft | Below flood stage | −0.01 ft | 29 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Barren River at Bowling Green?
The official flood stage is 28.00 ft. The level is currently 23.95 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 Barren River at Bowling Green today?
On Oct 19, 2026, 05:45 PM EDT, the water level was 4.05 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Barren River at Bowling Green rising or falling?
Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Barren River at Bowling Green normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Barren River at Bowling Green?
The highest level on record is 52.20 ft on January 8, 1913.
Is Barren River at Bowling Green expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.00 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 PM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:03314500(Agency page)- Coordinates
37.00282, -86.43277(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 | 4.05 ft | 2026-10-19 21:45 | Provisional |
| Flow | 277 cfs | 2026-10-19 21:45 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Barren River at Bowling Green (usgs:03314500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/barren-river-at-bowling-green
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