Conestoga River at Lancaster water level

Name: Conestoga River at Lancaster 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, Conestoga River, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.83ft Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 345 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.70 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:06 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Conestoga River at Lancaster, where the gauge shows 3.83 ft.

It is 7.17 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.70 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 3.83 ft – 4.03 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 27.90 ftJune 23, 1972
Forecast peak: 3.90 ftSunday, October 18 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 11.00 ft.

What happens at each level

34.60 ft: Approximate level of the FEMA 0.2% Annual Chance Flood level (500-year flood).
27.90 ft: Flood of record from Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
27.00 ft: Flood waters begin to reach the South Duke Street Bridge.
26.10 ft: Approximate level of the FEMA 1% Annual Chance Flood level (100-year flood).
22.60 ft: Flood waters begin to reach the New Holland Pike Bridge, and the Eden Road Bridge. Approximate level of the FEMA 2% Annual Chance Flood level (50-year flood).
20.00 ft: Flood waters begin to reach the East King Street Bridge, the East Strawberry Street Bridge and the bridge at the water treatment facility.
17.00 ft: Flood waters begin to reach the Hunsecker's Mill Covered Bridge.
15.60 ft: Approximate level of the FEMA 10% Annual Chance Flood level (10-year flood).
15.00 ft: Many homes near the river are affected by high water.
14.00 ft: The footbridge near the confluence of Stauffer Run begins to flood.
13.00 ft: Several homes are affected by high water.
11.00 ft: Grofftown Road will flood.
3.83 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: 20 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	27.90 ft	June 23, 1972
2	21.30 ft	September 8, 2011
3	18.49 ft	September 2, 2021
4	18.14 ft	January 25, 1978
5	17.80 ft	October 9, 2005
6	17.52 ft	August 24, 1933
7	16.70 ft	September 9, 1987
8	16.39 ft	September 17, 1999
9	15.30 ft	May 6, 1989
10	14.70 ft	June 28, 2006

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.10 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 58° 36° – Wind 5 mph

19 Mon 63° 37° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 66° 42° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 61° 41° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 64° 40° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 56° 40° – Wind 14 mph

24 Sat 56° 34° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:19 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Conestoga River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Conestoga River at ConestogaRiver gauge, Conestoga River	571 cfs	Normal	−59.0 cfs	9 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Spring Run near Mylin CornersRiver gauge, Big Spring Run	1.4 cfs	Normal	±0	3.8 mi
Pequea Creek near RonksRiver gauge, Pequea Creek	37.6 cfs	Low	−1.1 cfs	7 mi
Pequea Creek at Martic ForgeRiver gauge, Pequea Creek	71.4 cfs	Low	−4.2 cfs	10 mi
Chiques Creek near MariettaRiver gauge, Chiques Creek	116 cfs	Very high	−31.0 cfs	13 mi
Susquehanna River at MariettaRiver gauge, Susquehanna River	35.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	13 mi
Fishing Creek at CraleyRiver gauge, Fishing Creek	5.8 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	14 mi
Kreutz Creek at StricklerRiver gauge, Kreutz Creek	26.4 cfs	High	−3.2 cfs	15 mi
Conewago Creek near BellaireRiver gauge, Conewago Creek	9.1 cfs	Normal	−2.9 cfs	18 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Conestoga River at Lancaster?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.17 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 Conestoga River at Lancaster today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT, the water level was 3.83 ft. Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Conestoga River at Lancaster rising or falling?

Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Conestoga River at Lancaster normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Conestoga River at Lancaster?

The highest level on record is 27.90 ft on June 23, 1972.

Is Conestoga River at Lancaster expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.70 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01576500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.05010, -76.27718 (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	3.83 ft	2026-10-18 21:15	Provisional
Flow	345 cfs	2026-10-18 21:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Conestoga River at Lancaster (usgs:01576500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/conestoga-river-at-lancaster

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