Kentucky River at Lock 14 at Heidelberg water level

Name: Kentucky River at Lock 14 at Heidelberg 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, Kentucky River, Kentucky, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

9.56ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:55 PM EDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 699 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 9.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:29 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Kentucky River at Lock 14 at Heidelberg reads 9.56 ft, a normal level.

It is 10.44 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 9.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 9.56 ft and 10.43 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 35.60 ftFebruary 4, 1939
Forecast peak: 9.50 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 20.00 ft, still 10.44 ft away.

What happens at each level

35.60 ft: Flooding will exceed the highest flood on record.
20.00 ft: Low lying areas flood.
9.56 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: 23 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	35.60 ft	February 4, 1939
2	35.00 ft	January 30, 1957
3	34.40 ft	March 24, 1929
4	33.69 ft	March 2, 2021
5	32.60 ft	February 15, 1948
6	31.84 ft	February 2, 1951
7	31.76 ft	January 9, 1946
8	30.90 ft	May 8, 1984
9	30.00 ft	December 23, 1926
10	29.28 ft	February 28, 1962

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:49 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Kentucky River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kentucky River at Lock 13 near Willow ShoalsRiver gauge, Kentucky River	737 cfs	Normal	−139.0 cfs	4.9 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 12 near IrvineRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.91 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	13 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 11 near College HillRiver gauge, Kentucky River	625 cfs	Normal	−485.0 cfs	24 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 10 near WinchesterRiver gauge, Kentucky River	10.20 ft	Normal	−0.33 ft	36 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 9 at Valley ViewRiver gauge, Kentucky River	993 cfs	Normal	−277.0 cfs	42 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 8 near Camp NelsonRiver gauge, Kentucky River	12.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.26 ft	47 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 7 at HighbridgeRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.34 ft	56 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 6 near SalvisaRiver gauge, Kentucky River	1,150 cfs	Normal	−850.0 cfs	63 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 5 near TyroneRiver gauge, Kentucky River	1,440 cfs	Normal	−510.0 cfs	67 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 4 at FrankfortRiver gauge, Kentucky River	7.48 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	75 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 3 at GestRiver gauge, Kentucky River	10.15 ft	Normal	+1.67 ft	85 mi
Kentucky River at Lock 2 at LockportRiver gauge, Kentucky River	9.34 ft	Below flood stage	−0.22 ft	89 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sturgeon Creek at CressmontRiver gauge, Sturgeon Creek	4.3 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	4.3 mi
South Fork Kentucky River at BoonevilleRiver gauge, South Fork Kentucky River	3.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	7 mi
Middle Fork Kentucky River at TallegaRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	134 cfs	Normal	−32.0 cfs	10 mi
North Fork Kentucky River at JacksonRiver gauge, North Fork Kentucky River	1.71 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	21 mi
Buckhorn Lake at BuckhornLake, Buckhorn Lake	782.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	22 mi
Middle Fork Kentucky River at Hwy28 near BuckhornRiver gauge, Middle Fork Kentucky River	3.81 ft	Low	−0.16 ft	23 mi
Red River at Clay CityRiver gauge, Red River	2.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	23 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Kentucky River at Lock 14 at Heidelberg?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 10.44 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 Kentucky River at Lock 14 at Heidelberg today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:55 PM EDT, the water level was 9.56 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Kentucky River at Lock 14 at Heidelberg rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Kentucky River at Lock 14 at Heidelberg normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Kentucky River at Lock 14 at Heidelberg?

The highest level on record is 35.60 ft on February 4, 1939.

Is Kentucky River at Lock 14 at Heidelberg expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 9.30 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03282000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.55314, -83.76936 (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	9.56 ft	2026-10-20 19:55	Provisional
Flow	699 cfs	2026-10-20 19:55	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Kentucky River at Lock 14 at Heidelberg (usgs:03282000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/kentucky/kentucky-river-at-lock-14-at-heidelberg

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