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SwedenRoanoke (Staunton) River at Brookneal water level
River gauge, Roanoke (Staunton) River, Virginia, United States
Right now
Lower than ever recorded here
Water level
- Flow
- 576 cfs
History
The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:03 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
Low water at Roanoke (Staunton) River at Brookneal: the gauge reads 3.96 ft, at a record low.
That is below the previous record low of 5.33 ft (September 24, 1963), so the gauge is setting a new low. It is 19.04 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft.
The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 3.96 ft – 4.03 ft.
Compared with the highest and lowest levels the agency has recorded at this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 39.80 ftSeptember 9, 1987
- Lowest on record
- 5.33 ftSeptember 24, 1963
- Lowest on record
- 1.37 ft below the lowest level on record
- Forecast peak
- 4.00 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM
Paddling and fishing conditions
At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.
For reference, flood stage is 23.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 40.00 ft
- Base of Radio tower on Radio Road, and sewage treatment pond begin to flood.
- 32.00 ft
- Building #1 on Radio Road floods.
- 30.00 ft
- Lower or southeast end of Radio Road floods.
- 28.00 ft
- Brookneal Fish Hatchery pond furthest downstream begins to flood.
- 23.00 ft
- Low-lying fields and woods are flooded.
- 3.96 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: 15 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 39.80 ft | September 9, 1987 |
| 2 | 37.47 ft | September 19, 1944 |
| 3 | 37.15 ft | August 12, 1928 |
| 4 | 35.00 ft | June 23, 1995 |
| 5 | 34.51 ft | November 12, 2020 |
| 6 | 34.47 ft | October 20, 1937 |
| 7 | 34.27 ft | June 22, 1972 |
| 8 | 33.93 ft | December 5, 1948 |
| 9 | 33.77 ft | November 5, 1985 |
| 10 | 32.35 ft | October 16, 1954 |
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 0.48 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the Roanoke (Staunton) River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke (Staunton) River at RandolphRiver gauge, Roanoke (Staunton) River | 4.83 ft | Below flood stage | −0.07 ft | 14 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falling River near NarunaRiver gauge, Falling River | 2.67 ft | Below flood stage | −0.08 ft | 6.1 mi |
| Cub Creek at PhenixRiver gauge, Cub Creek | 0.98 ft | Below flood stage | −0.07 ft | 10 mi |
| Banister River at HalifaxRiver gauge, Banister River | 62.9 cfs | Very low | +4.2 cfs | 18 mi |
| Roanoke River at AltavistaRiver gauge, Roanoke River | 1.59 ft | Below flood stage | −0.02 ft | 19 mi |
| Big Otter River near EvingtonRiver gauge, Big Otter River | 1.97 ft | Below flood stage | −0.04 ft | 23 mi |
| Dan River at South BostonRiver gauge, Dan River | 5.72 ft | Very low | +0.02 ft | 24 mi |
| Dan River at PacesRiver gauge, Dan River | 2.42 ft | Below flood stage | −0.17 ft | 29 mi |
| Buffalo Creek near Hampden SydneyRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek | 19.7 cfs | Low | −2.9 cfs | 29 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Roanoke (Staunton) River at Brookneal?
The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 19.04 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 Roanoke (Staunton) River at Brookneal today?
On Oct 20, 2026, 03:45 AM EDT, the water level was 3.96 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Roanoke (Staunton) River at Brookneal rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Roanoke (Staunton) River at Brookneal normal?
Lower than ever recorded here. Compared with the highest and lowest levels the agency has recorded at this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Roanoke (Staunton) River at Brookneal?
The highest level on record is 39.80 ft on September 9, 1987. The lowest is 5.33 ft on September 24, 1963.
Is Roanoke (Staunton) River at Brookneal expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:02062500(Agency page)- Coordinates
37.03944, -78.94572(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 | 3.96 ft | 2026-10-20 07:45 | Provisional |
| Flow | 576 cfs | 2026-10-20 07:45 | Provisional |
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Roanoke (Staunton) River at Brookneal (usgs:02062500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/roanoke-staunton-river-at-brookneal
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