Cumberland River near Harlan water level

Name: Cumberland River near Harlan 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, Cumberland River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.11ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 169 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Cumberland River near Harlan, where the gauge shows 2.11 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.09 ft – 2.16 ft.

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

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 30.20 ftApril 5, 1977

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

What happens at each level

30.20 ft: flooding will exceed highest stage on record
2.11 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	30.20 ft	April 5, 1977
2	26.12 ft	March 18, 2002
3	24.90 ft	December 31, 1969
4	24.89 ft	March 12, 1963
5	24.38 ft	February 6, 2020
6	22.81 ft	January 8, 1946
7	22.22 ft	May 7, 1984
8	22.00 ft	January 1, 1918
9	21.79 ft	February 11, 2018
10	20.97 ft	December 2, 1991

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 64° 39° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 66° 46° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 67° 43° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 69° 44° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 67° 45° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 69° 42° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 69° 46° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 6 min First quarter 65%

Map

Other gauges on the Cumberland River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cumberland River at Pine St Branch at PinevilleRiver gauge, Cumberland River	242 cfs	Normal	±0	19 mi
Cumberland River at BarbourvilleRiver gauge, Cumberland River	1.54 ft	Below flood stage	±0	29 mi
Cumberland River at WilliamsburgRiver gauge, Cumberland River	2.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	45 mi
Cumberland River at Cumberland FallsRiver gauge, Cumberland River	274 cfs	Normal	−18.0 cfs	55 mi
Cumberland River at Long Bottom near RowenaRiver gauge, Cumberland River	8.75 ft	No reference yet	+3.58 ft	98 mi
Cumberland River at BurkesvilleRiver gauge, Cumberland River	26.51 ft	Below flood stage	+0.95 ft	111 mi
Cumberland River at CelinaRiver gauge, Cumberland River	13.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	121 mi
Cumberland River below Cordell Hull DamRiver gauge, Cumberland River	447.03 ft	No reference yet	+0.34 ft	149 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Martin's Fork near HarlanRiver gauge, Martin's Fork	67.2 cfs	Normal	−8.8 cfs	1.8 mi
Martins Fork near SmithRiver gauge, Martins Fork	44.1 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	8 mi
Martins Fork above SmithRiver gauge, Martins Fork	10.2 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	9 mi
Powell River near JonesvilleRiver gauge, Powell River	1.56 ft	Below flood stage	±0	19 mi
Poor Fork at CumberlandRiver gauge, Poor Fork	3.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	22 mi
Cutshin Creek at WootonRiver gauge, Cutshin Creek	16.6 cfs	Normal	±0	22 mi
Powell River near ArthurRiver gauge, Powell River	2.18 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	26 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at HazardRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	4.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

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 Cumberland River near Harlan today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT, the water level was 2.11 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cumberland River near Harlan rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cumberland River near Harlan normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cumberland River near Harlan?

The highest level on record is 30.20 ft on April 5, 1977.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03401000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.84675, -83.35574 (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	2.11 ft	2026-10-20 03:30	Provisional
Flow	169 cfs	2026-10-20 03:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cumberland River near Harlan (usgs:03401000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/cumberland-river-near-harlan

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