Buffalo Creek near Hampden Sydney water level

Name: Buffalo Creek near Hampden Sydney 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, Buffalo Creek, Virginia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.16ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:30 PM EDT (58 min ago)

Flow: 19.3 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at Buffalo Creek near Hampden Sydney: the gauge reads 1.16 ft, below normal for mid-October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.07 ft – 1.32 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 15.00 ftAugust 15, 1940

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft: River stage sensor operating limit
14.50 ft: Water begins to flood Five Forks Rd, secondary state route 658, about 100 ft east of the bridge across Buffalo Creek.
1.16 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.00 ft	August 15, 1940
2	13.34 ft	October 12, 2018
3	12.38 ft	June 21, 1972
4	11.83 ft	August 9, 2024
5	10.82 ft	September 19, 2003
6	10.62 ft	May 16, 2014
7	10.54 ft	July 12, 2013
8	10.43 ft	February 25, 1979
9	10.22 ft	March 4, 1993
10	9.82 ft	September 7, 1974

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on Buffalo Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Buffalo Creek at Sr2819 near McLeansvilleRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek	1.93 ft	Very low	−0.06 ft	102 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Appomattox River at FarmvilleRiver gauge, Appomattox River	4.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	6 mi
Holiday Creek near AndersonvilleRiver gauge, Holiday Creek	2.4 cfs	Normal	±0	14 mi
North Meherrin River near LunenburgRiver gauge, North Meherrin River	0.23 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	19 mi
Cub Creek at PhenixRiver gauge, Cub Creek	0.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	20 mi
James River at Bent CreekRiver gauge, James River	3.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	27 mi
Roanoke (Staunton) River at RandolphRiver gauge, Roanoke (Staunton) River	4.83 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	27 mi
Falling River near NarunaRiver gauge, Falling River	2.67 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	28 mi
Roanoke (Staunton) River at BrooknealRiver gauge, Roanoke (Staunton) River	3.94 ft	Lowest on record	−0.03 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

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 Buffalo Creek near Hampden Sydney today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:30 PM EDT, the water level was 1.16 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Buffalo Creek near Hampden Sydney rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Buffalo Creek near Hampden Sydney normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Buffalo Creek near Hampden Sydney?

The highest level on record is 15.00 ft on August 15, 1940.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02039000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.25710, -78.48638 (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	1.16 ft	2026-10-20 17:30	Provisional
Flow	19.3 cfs	2026-10-20 17:30	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buffalo Creek near Hampden Sydney (usgs:02039000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/buffalo-creek-near-hampden-sydney

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