Big Creek at Cleveland OH water level

Name: Big Creek at Cleveland OH 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, Big Creek, Ohio, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.15ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:30 PM EDT (28 min ago)

Flow: 17.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Big Creek at Cleveland OH is at 2.15 ft, in the normal range.

It is 8.85 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.15 ft and 4.39 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 16.20 ftAugust 24, 1975

Floating and fishing near Big Creek at Cleveland OH

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

Flood stage here is 11.00 ft, 8.85 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Zoo property begins to flood.
11.00 ft: Cleveland Zoo parking lot floods.
9.00 ft: Creek at bankfull in the Brookside and Big Creek Metroparks.
2.15 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.20 ft	August 24, 1975
2	14.44 ft	September 17, 1976
3	13.82 ft	September 7, 2020
4	13.38 ft	March 29, 2020
5	13.26 ft	May 15, 2020
6	12.96 ft	July 2, 1983
7	12.92 ft	July 21, 2023
8	12.85 ft	June 15, 1986
9	12.55 ft	August 13, 1984
10	12.32 ft	October 21, 2020

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.41 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 66° 37° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 64° 44° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 65° 43° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 64° 48° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 67° 50° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 67° 49° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 68° 51° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:41 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 62%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
East Branch Big Creek at Brooklyn OHRiver gauge, East Branch Big Creek	8.5 cfs	Normal	−1.5 cfs	1.7 mi
West Creek at Brooklyn Heights OHRiver gauge, West Creek	2.6 cfs	Low	−0.8 cfs	3.8 mi
Mill Creek at Garfield Hts OHRiver gauge, Mill Creek	8.5 cfs	Normal	−1.1 cfs	4.7 mi
Cuyahoga River at Independence OHRiver gauge, Cuyahoga River	2.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	6.1 mi
Mill Creek at Garfield Pkwy at Garfield Heights OHRiver gauge, Mill Creek	1.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	6.1 mi
Doan Brook at MLK Jr Dr at Cleveland OHRiver gauge, Doan Brook	1.68 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	7 mi
Abram Creek at Brook Park OHRiver gauge, Abram Creek	1.62 ft	Normal	−0.14 ft	7 mi
Rocky River near Berea OHRiver gauge, Rocky River	5.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Big Creek at Cleveland OH?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 8.85 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 Big Creek at Cleveland OH today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:30 PM EDT, the water level was 2.15 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Creek at Cleveland OH rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Big Creek at Cleveland OH normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Big Creek at Cleveland OH?

The highest level on record is 16.20 ft on August 24, 1975.

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:04208502 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.45033, -81.72152 (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	2.15 ft	2026-10-19 20:30	Provisional
Flow	17.0 cfs	2026-10-19 20:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Creek at Cleveland OH (usgs:04208502). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/big-creek-at-cleveland-oh

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