Chemung River at Elmira water level

Name: Chemung River at Elmira 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, Chemung River, New York, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.06ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT (28 min ago)

Flow: 297 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:18 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Chemung River at Elmira is at 1.06 ft, in the normal range.

It is 10.94 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 1.04 ft and 1.08 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 18.51 ftJanuary 19, 1996
Forecast peak: 1.00 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Chemung River at Elmira

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

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 10.94 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

25.20 ft: Devastating flood damage occurs throughout the City of Elmira and surrounding areas. Public utilities, transportation, and communications are severely disrupted. This is the record flood from June 1972.
25.00 ft: Water overtops the north bank of the levee system resulting in widespread flooding of downtown Elmira.
23.00 ft: The Carriage Estates neighborhood and Farm Lane in Ashland flood. Flooding extends to 3rd Street in Wellsburg. The City of Elmira is protected by levees to 25 feet.
20.00 ft: Neighborhoods south of Water Street in West Elmira experience extensive flooding. Properties along West Hudson Street at Morrowfield, Bonaview, and Homewood Avenues in the Town of Southport flood. The City of Elmira is protected by levees to 25 feet.
19.00 ft: Most of Big Flats is inundated. Streets between York Avenue and Morningside Drive in West Elmira begin flooding. Homes at the lower end of Morningside and Country Club Drive are flooded to the first floor. Routes 225 and 352 are closed at Fitch's Bridge. Flooding worsens along Lower Maple Avenue from Southport to Wellsburg. The City of Elmira is protected by levees to 25 feet.
15.00 ft: The Hamlet of Big Flats begins to flood. Water may also affect streets nearest the river from Golden Glow Heights through West Elmira. Flooding extends into the Town of Soutport affecting neighborhoods along Maple Avenue. Front Street in Wellsburg floods. The City of Elmira is protected by levees to 25 feet.
12.00 ft: Minor flooding develops outside the area of levees and flood protection. Portions of Lower Maple Avenue (Route 427) in the Town of Ashland may be closed. The Lowman Crossover floods. Route 352 in Big Flats floods. The City of Elmira is protected by levees to 25 feet.
1.06 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: 12 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.51 ft	January 19, 1996
2	16.00 ft	November 8, 1996
3	13.55 ft	September 18, 2004
4	13.40 ft	October 30, 2021
5	13.18 ft	January 8, 1998
6	13.17 ft	April 3, 2005
7	12.85 ft	September 9, 2004
8	12.70 ft	October 24, 1990
9	12.49 ft	August 19, 2021
10	12.47 ft	November 30, 2005

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 63° 39° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 60° 36° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 60° 36° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 58° 38° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 58° 35° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 63° 37° – Wind 7 mph

26 Mon 65° 48° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:19 PM Daylight 10 hr, 53 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Chemung River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chemung River at CorningRiver gauge, Chemung River	14.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	14 mi
Chemung River at ChemungRiver gauge, Chemung River	2.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Catharine Creek at Montour FallsRiver gauge, Catharine Creek	15.1 cfs	Normal	−1.8 cfs	17 mi
Susquehanna River near WaverlyRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	1.99 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	17 mi
Tioga River near ErwinsRiver gauge, Tioga River	0.73 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	17 mi
NB Sugar Creek Tributary near Columbia Cross RoadsRiver gauge, NB Sugar Creek Tributary	1.1 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	17 mi
Tioga River at LindleyRiver gauge, Tioga River	3.21 ft	Below flood stage	±0	17 mi
Cowanesque River near LawrencevilleRiver gauge, Cowanesque River	7.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	18 mi
Tioga River at Tioga JunctionRiver gauge, Tioga River	6.88 ft	Below flood stage	±0	19 mi
Cowanesque Lake at LawrencevilleLake, Cowanesque Lake	1,080.38 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Chemung River at Elmira?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.94 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 Chemung River at Elmira today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT, the water level was 1.06 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Chemung River at Elmira rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Chemung River at Elmira normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Chemung River at Elmira?

The highest level on record is 18.51 ft on January 19, 1996.

Is Chemung River at Elmira expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01530332 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.08631, -76.80122 (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	1.06 ft	2026-10-20 15:30	Provisional
Flow	297 cfs	2026-10-20 15:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Chemung River at Elmira (usgs:01530332). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-york/chemung-river-at-elmira

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