Horse Creek at SR 72 near Arcadia water level

Name: Horse Creek at SR 72 near Arcadia 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, Horse Creek, Florida, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

7.68ft Down 0.71 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 299 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Horse Creek at SR 72 near Arcadia shows 7.68 ft, well above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 3.87 ft above the median of 3.81 ft for mid-October, based on 52 years of readings. It is 4.32 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.87 ft (+3.81 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.71 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.93 ft and 12.16 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 52 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.81 ft3.87 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.75 ft – 6.46 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (52 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.87 ft+3.81 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.93 ft – 12.16 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.46 ft – 12.34 ft
Highest on record: 21.24 ftSeptember 29, 2022

High water at Horse Creek at SR 72 near Arcadia

The National Weather Service splits flooding into minor, moderate and major flood stage, each tied to what starts to go under water at this particular gauge. Minor flooding usually means low roads, parks and farmland; major flooding reaches homes and businesses.

Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.

What happens at each level

17.73 ft: Flooding affects over 100 homes.
17.00 ft: Water reaches the Environmental Learning Lab.
16.00 ft: Water is on State Highways 72 and 769.
15.00 ft: Royal Park Estates are affected near State Road 72.
14.00 ft: Buildings in Hidden Oak flood.
12.00 ft: The access road to Hidden Oak is impassable.
11.00 ft: Secondary roads in Hidden Oak and royal palm begin to flood.
10.50 ft: Two homes become isolated.
7.68 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	21.24 ft	September 29, 2022
2	18.02 ft	June 23, 2003
3	17.94 ft	August 1, 1960
4	17.78 ft	June 27, 1992
5	17.34 ft	June 18, 1982
6	17.07 ft	September 11, 2017
7	16.84 ft	October 2, 1951
8	16.80 ft	September 16, 2001
9	16.70 ft	September 21, 1962
10	16.64 ft	September 9, 1988

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.05 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 82° 64° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 82° 61° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 80° 63° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 80° 62° – Wind 18 mph

24 Sat 81° 66° – Wind 20 mph

25 Sun 80° 71° – Wind 20 mph

26 Mon 83° 70° – Wind 19 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 11 hr, 25 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on Horse Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Horse Creek near Myakka HeadRiver gauge, Horse Creek	12.46 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	20 mi
Horse Creek near LimestoneRiver gauge, Horse Creek	53.20 ft	High	−0.02 ft	12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Peace River at SR 70 at ArcadiaRiver gauge, Peace River	4.00 ft	Normal	−0.87 ft	7 mi
Joshua Creek at NocateeRiver gauge, Joshua Creek	5.44 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	7 mi
Peace River near Peace River Heights near Fort OgdenRiver gauge, Peace River	1.46 ft	Normal	+0.30 ft	9 mi
Big Slough Canal near Myakka CityCanal gauge, Big Slough Canal	26.80 ft	Very high	−0.18 ft	10 mi
Myakka River at Myakka CityRiver gauge, Myakka River	7.73 ft	High	−0.48 ft	14 mi
Big Slough at Tropicaire Blvd near North PortRiver gauge, Big Slough	18.28 ft	Very high	−0.30 ft	15 mi
Peace River at Harbour HeightsRiver gauge, Peace River	1.58 ft	Very high	+0.44 ft	15 mi
Myakka River near Myakka CityRiver gauge, Myakka River	9.68 ft	Very high	−0.20 ft	15 mi

Questions and answers

How does Horse Creek at SR 72 near Arcadia compare with last year?

It is 3.81 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.87 ft.

What is flood stage for Horse Creek at SR 72 near Arcadia?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 4.32 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Horse Creek at SR 72 near Arcadia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.81 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.75 ft and 6.46 ft, based on 52 years of records.

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 Horse Creek at SR 72 near Arcadia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT, the water level was 7.68 ft. Down 0.71 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Horse Creek at SR 72 near Arcadia rising or falling?

Down 0.71 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 1.69 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Horse Creek at SR 72 near Arcadia normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 52 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02297310 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 27.19949, -81.98842 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	7.68 ft	2026-10-20 14:30	Provisional
Flow	299 cfs	2026-10-20 14:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Horse Creek at SR 72 near Arcadia (usgs:02297310). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/florida/horse-creek-at-sr-72-near-arcadia

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