Big Walnut Creek at Central College OH water level

Name: Big Walnut Creek at Central College 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 Walnut Creek, Ohio, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.74ft Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM EDT (28 min ago)

Flow: 140 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Big Walnut Creek at Central College OH is at 3.74 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.96 ft below the flood stage of 11.70 ft.

It has dropped 0.13 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.69 ft and 3.90 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: 19.75 ftJanuary 21, 1959

Floating and fishing near Big Walnut Creek at Central College OH

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

Flood stage here is 11.70 ft, 7.96 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: This is near the flood of record and the FEMA 1 percent flood area. Numerous properties in Gould Park west of Cottage Street are flooded, with flooding along Walnut View Boulevard, Cherry Bottom and Old Ridemour Roads.
15.00 ft: Several homes are flooded in Gould Park, with Cherry Bottom Road flooded in several areas, as well as areas near Creekside Park in Gahanna.
14.00 ft: Flood waters impact homes in the Gould Park area, with some residents cut off. Creekside Park in Gahanna is also flooded, as well as stretches of Cherry Bottom Road.
12.50 ft: Water approaches some homes in the Gould Park area, with several homes incurring basement flooding. Flooding along Cherry Bottom Road occurs as well as Creekside Park in Gahanna.
11.70 ft: Flooding of yards occurs in the Gould Park area, with some basement flooding along Walnut View Boulevard and Park Drive. Cherry Bottom Road is flooded.
10.50 ft: Flooding encroaches along Cherry Bottom Road.
3.74 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.75 ft	January 21, 1959
2	16.60 ft	August 4, 1943
3	15.40 ft	February 14, 1948
4	15.30 ft	January 27, 1952
5	15.21 ft	January 6, 2005
6	14.90 ft	March 6, 1945
7	14.63 ft	May 27, 1968
8	14.20 ft	June 19, 1939
9	13.42 ft	April 13, 1972
10	13.33 ft	May 19, 1969

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.31 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 64° 37° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 65° 40° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 67° 47° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 66° 45° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 66° 46° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 67° 46° – Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 67° 47° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:47 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on Big Walnut Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Walnut Creek at Sunbury OHRiver gauge, Big Walnut Creek	7.8 cfs	Normal	±0	9 mi
Big Walnut Creek at Rees OHRiver gauge, Big Walnut Creek	238 cfs	Normal	−9.0 cfs	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hoover Reservoir at Central College OHReservoir, Hoover Reservoir	891.48 ft	Very high	−0.09 ft	0.3 mi
Alum Creek at Africa OHRiver gauge, Alum Creek	93.1 cfs	Normal	+2.0 cfs	7 mi
Olentangy River near Worthington OHRiver gauge, Olentangy River	1.84 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	8 mi
Olentangy River at J H Herrick Dr at Columbus OHRiver gauge, Olentangy River	66.1 cfs	Very high	−5.3 cfs	10 mi
Alum Creek at Columbus OHRiver gauge, Alum Creek	2.49 ft	High	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Scioto River at 5th Ave at Columbus OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	140 cfs	Normal	±0	13 mi
Scioto River below O'Shaughnessy Dam near Dublin OHRiver gauge, Scioto River	97.3 cfs	Normal	±0	13 mi
Blacklick Creek near Pickerington OHRiver gauge, Blacklick Creek	18.6 cfs	High	−3.8 cfs	13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Big Walnut Creek at Central College OH?

The official flood stage is 11.70 ft. The level is currently 7.96 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 Walnut Creek at Central College OH today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM EDT, the water level was 3.74 ft. Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Walnut Creek at Central College OH rising or falling?

Down 0.13 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Big Walnut Creek at Central College OH normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Big Walnut Creek at Central College OH?

The highest level on record is 19.75 ft on January 21, 1959.

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:03228500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.10367, -82.88407 (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	3.74 ft	2026-10-19 19:00	Provisional
Flow	140 cfs	2026-10-19 19:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Walnut Creek at Central College OH (usgs:03228500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/big-walnut-creek-at-central-college-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