French Creek at Meadville water level

Name: French Creek at Meadville 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, French Creek, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.37ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 07:15 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 273 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at French Creek at Meadville reads 2.37 ft, a normal level.

It is 11.63 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.74 ft and 2.42 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.90 ftJanuary 12, 2018
Forecast peak: 2.40 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM

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 14.00 ft, still 11.63 ft away.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Flood waters will begin to affect the Seco Warwick Company.
18.00 ft: FEMA 0.2 percent flood level. Major property losses in Meadville.
17.50 ft: Extensive flooding will occur throughout western and southern Meadville. Water may begin impacting shopping areas along U.S. Routes 6, 19, and 322. Arch Street flooded.
17.00 ft: Major flooding occurs in the City of Meadville. Many roads on the south and west side of town near U.S. 322 and Park Avenue are flooded. The entire Fifth Ward area between French Creek and Dunham Road is flooded. Many industries downstream of Meadville along French Creek are severely impacted. Floodwaters will likely close the Mead Avenue bridge.
16.50 ft: Water is several feet deep in Fifth Ward, Asbury East and West Mobile Home Park.
16.00 ft: FEMA 1 percent flood level. Significant flooding in western Meadville. Lincoln and Columbia Avenues between Rogers Ferry and Race Streets inundated. Mead Avenue and Bicentennial Park are flooded. French Creek Parkway and U.S. 322 are severely impacted on the south side of town.
15.00 ft: Floodwaters reach Columbia Avenue, Race Street, and Rogers Ferry Road. Residents of Asbury East and West Mobile Home Parks are impacted. Bicentennial Park near Mead Street is flooded. Water may impact traffic at the U.S. 322 bypass near Park Avenue.
14.00 ft: Flooding begins along Cussewago Creek near Race Street. Floodwater begins to affect residents in west Asbury Manor Moblie Home Park and Ellsworth Park near Cussewago Creek.
13.00 ft: Flooding begins downstream of Meadville at Wilson Chute as well as Race St. Backwater flooding along Cussewago Creek could affect the Asbury Manor West Mobile Home Park.
2.37 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.90 ft	January 12, 2018
2	16.35 ft	September 10, 2004
3	15.52 ft	January 20, 1996
4	15.15 ft	March 16, 2007
5	15.10 ft	December 31, 1990
6	15.04 ft	January 9, 1998
7	15.02 ft	February 7, 2008
8	14.87 ft	January 14, 2017
9	14.83 ft	February 19, 2022
10	14.29 ft	February 13, 2009

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 1.85 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 66° 33° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 65° 42° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 65° 38° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 64° 40° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 64° 43° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 63° 39° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 65° 42° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on French Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
French Creek near WattsburgRiver gauge, French Creek	31.3 cfs	Low	−6.9 cfs	33 mi
French Creek near Union CityRiver gauge, French Creek	2.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	23 mi
French Creek at Cambridge SpringsRiver gauge, French Creek	1.90 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	13 mi
French Creek at UticaRiver gauge, French Creek	426 cfs	Normal	+36.0 cfs	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Woodcock Creek at Woodcock Creek DamRiver gauge, Woodcock Creek	7.19 ft	Below flood stage	±0	5.1 mi
Woodcock Creek Lake near SaegertownLake, Woodcock Creek Lake	1,164.91 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	5.4 mi
Woodcock Creek at Blooming ValleyRiver gauge, Woodcock Creek	11.1 cfs	Low	−2.1 cfs	7 mi
Shenango River at Pymatuning DamRiver gauge, Shenango River	138 cfs	Normal	±0	18 mi
Little Shenango River at GreenvilleRiver gauge, Little Shenango River	24.2 cfs	Normal	−4.6 cfs	18 mi
Shenango River near TransferRiver gauge, Shenango River	175 cfs	Normal	−4.0 cfs	23 mi
Union City Reservoir on French Creek near Union CityReservoir, Union City Reservoir on French Creek	1,223.68 ft	Normal	−0.73 ft	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for French Creek at Meadville?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 11.63 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 French Creek at Meadville today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 07:15 AM EDT, the water level was 2.37 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is French Creek at Meadville rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of French Creek at Meadville normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at French Creek at Meadville?

The highest level on record is 16.90 ft on January 12, 2018.

Is French Creek at Meadville expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 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:03023100 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.63255, -80.15950 (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	2.37 ft	2026-10-20 11:15	Provisional
Flow	273 cfs	2026-10-20 11:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: French Creek at Meadville (usgs:03023100). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/french-creek-at-meadville

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