Red Clay Creek at Wooddale water level

Name: Red Clay Creek at Wooddale 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, Red Clay Creek, Delaware, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.94ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 PM EDT (32 min ago)

Flow: 37.8 cfs
Water temperature: 53 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Red Clay Creek at Wooddale is at 2.94 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.06 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.93 ft and 3.06 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 53 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 17.62 ftSeptember 15, 2003

Floating and fishing near Red Clay Creek at Wooddale

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

Flood stage here is 7.00 ft, 4.06 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: Barley Mill Road at Little Brook Drive begins to flood. Foxhill Lane and the Wooddale Covered Bridge are closed due to high water. Significant flooding occurs in Brandywine Springs Park.
10.00 ft: West Rolling Mill Road floods. Creek Road between Pyles Ford Road and Way Road is closed due to flooding.
8.50 ft: Flooding begins near Old Capital Trail and Newport Road.
7.50 ft: Barley Mill Road begins to flood. Brandywine Springs Park floods.
5.50 ft: Flooding begins in adjacent open fields.
2.94 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.62 ft	September 15, 2003
2	13.93 ft	September 16, 1999
3	13.53 ft	September 28, 2004
4	12.99 ft	August 28, 2011
5	12.18 ft	August 8, 2020
6	11.41 ft	May 1, 2014
7	10.90 ft	October 1, 2010
8	10.88 ft	June 28, 2006
9	10.85 ft	August 4, 2020
10	10.32 ft	July 21, 1975

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.46 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 57° 38° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 62° 43° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 67° 50° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 63° 48° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 65° 46° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 63° 49° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 62° 46° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:19 AM Sunset 06:17 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 64%

Map

Other gauges on Red Clay Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Red Clay Creek near Kennett SquareRiver gauge, Red Clay Creek	24.3 cfs	Normal	±0	4.7 mi
Red Clay Creek near StantonRiver gauge, Red Clay Creek	7.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	3.3 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Calf Run at MarshalltonRiver gauge, Calf Run	0.4 cfs	Very high	±0	2.6 mi
Brandywine Creek at WilmingtonRiver gauge, Brandywine Creek	18.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	3.2 mi
White Clay Creek near NewarkRiver gauge, White Clay Creek	5.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	4.8 mi
Pike Creek near NewarkRiver gauge, Pike Creek	3.3 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	5.0 mi
Shellpot Creek at WilmingtonRiver gauge, Shellpot Creek	2.8 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	6 mi
White Clay Creek near StrickersvilleRiver gauge, White Clay Creek	3.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Brandywine Creek at Chadds FordRiver gauge, Brandywine Creek	1.95 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	8 mi
White Clay Creek at NewarkRiver gauge, White Clay Creek	5.38 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	8 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Red Clay Creek at Wooddale?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 4.06 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 Red Clay Creek at Wooddale today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 PM EDT, the water level was 2.94 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Red Clay Creek at Wooddale rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Red Clay Creek at Wooddale normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Red Clay Creek at Wooddale?

The highest level on record is 17.62 ft on September 15, 2003.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01480000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.76281, -75.63650 (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	2.94 ft	2026-10-20 01:45	Provisional
Flow	37.8 cfs	2026-10-20 01:45	Provisional
Water temperature	53 °F	2026-10-20 01:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Red Clay Creek at Wooddale (usgs:01480000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/delaware/red-clay-creek-at-wooddale

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