Shade River near Chester OH water level

Name: Shade River near Chester 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, Shade River, Ohio, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.17ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 53.6 cfs
Water temperature: 52 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Shade River near Chester OH reads 5.17 ft, a normal level.

It is 10.83 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.17 ft and 5.63 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 52 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 31.44 ftMarch 2, 1997
Lowest on record: 3.50 ftJuly 1, 1990

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 16.00 ft, still 10.83 ft away.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft: The bridge at the gauge on Scout Camp Road floods.
24.00 ft: Most of Scout Camp Road floods.
21.00 ft: The intersection of T-95 Oak Hill Road and Scout Camp Road floods. Mill Street at Route 248 floods in Chester.
18.00 ft: Low sections of Scout Camp Road flood.
17.00 ft: The Sugar Run Creek bridge located 150 feet below the river gauge floods.
16.00 ft: Low spot on Scout Camp Road near Sugar Run Creek bridge floods. Agricultural fields adjacent to river begin to flood.
14.00 ft: Low lying areas adjacent to the river flood, including a few agricultural fields.
5.17 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	31.44 ft	March 2, 1997
2	30.04 ft	September 18, 2004
3	27.38 ft	May 25, 1968
4	26.00 ft	February 18, 2000
5	25.65 ft	January 21, 2025
6	24.67 ft	January 14, 1966
7	24.32 ft	May 4, 2010
8	24.28 ft	January 29, 1994
9	23.92 ft	February 17, 2025
10	23.63 ft	April 11, 1994

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 65° 33° – Wind 4 mph

19 Mon 66° 40° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 65° 40° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 66° 43° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 64° 40° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 66° 42° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 67° 45° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:45 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 58%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Little Tygart Creek at Mineral WellsRiver gauge, Little Tygart Creek	1.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	20 mi
Ohio River at Point PleasantRiver gauge, Ohio River	24.95 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	21 mi
Hocking River at Athens OHRiver gauge, Hocking River	4.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	21 mi
Ohio River at ParkersburgRiver gauge, Ohio River	21.53 ft	Normal	−0.25 ft	22 mi
Little Kanawha River at PalestineRiver gauge, Little Kanawha River	15.97 ft	Below flood stage	−1.00 ft	26 mi
Raccoon Creek at Adamsville OHRiver gauge, Raccoon Creek	2.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	29 mi
Sunday Creek at Glouster OHRiver gauge, Sunday Creek	3.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	32 mi
Ohio River at MariettaRiver gauge, Ohio River	16.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.40 ft	33 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Shade River near Chester OH?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 10.83 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 Shade River near Chester OH today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT, the water level was 5.17 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Shade River near Chester OH rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Shade River near Chester OH normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Shade River near Chester OH?

The highest level on record is 31.44 ft on March 2, 1997. The lowest is 3.50 ft on July 1, 1990.

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:03159540 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.06369, -81.88180 (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	5.17 ft	2026-10-19 09:30	Provisional
Flow	53.6 cfs	2026-10-19 09:30	Provisional
Water temperature	52 °F	2026-10-19 09:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Shade River near Chester OH (usgs:03159540). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/ohio/shade-river-near-chester-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