Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge water level

Name: Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge 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, Cowpasture River, Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.00ft Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 08:30 PM EDT (53 min ago)

Flow: 238 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge reads 2.00 ft, a normal level.

It is 8.00 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.00 ft and 2.87 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: 19.15 ftNovember 5, 1985
Lowest on record: 0.09 ftDecember 8, 1998

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 10.00 ft, still 8.00 ft away.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Extensive flooding of the road and homes threatened along parts of Riverland Road and Bluebird Lane upstream from the gage.
15.00 ft: Some homes and properties upstream from the gage may be affected by flooding.
12.00 ft: Parts of Riverland Road and Bluebird Lane upstream from the gage begin to flood.
9.00 ft: Lowland flooding occurs along much of the river.
2.00 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.15 ft	November 5, 1985
2	18.62 ft	March 18, 1936
3	16.91 ft	September 7, 1996
4	15.70 ft	August 20, 1969
5	14.39 ft	January 8, 1998
6	14.11 ft	April 22, 1992
7	14.07 ft	May 17, 1942
8	13.85 ft	December 27, 1973
9	13.80 ft	April 17, 2018
10	13.76 ft	February 23, 1935

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:36 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 64%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
James River at Lick RunRiver gauge, James River	2.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	1.8 mi
Craig Creek at ParrRiver gauge, Craig Creek	3.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	12 mi
Jackson River below Dunlap Creek at CovingtonRiver gauge, Jackson River	4.85 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	13 mi
Jackson River below Gathright Dam near Hot SpringsRiver gauge, Jackson River	197 cfs	Normal	−3.0 cfs	15 mi
Dunlap Creek near CovingtonRiver gauge, Dunlap Creek	1.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	16 mi
Potts Creek near CovingtonRiver gauge, Potts Creek	2.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	16 mi
Kerrs Creek near LexingtonRiver gauge, Kerrs Creek	2.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Jackson River near BacovaRiver gauge, Jackson River	3.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 8.00 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 Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 08:30 PM EDT, the water level was 2.00 ft. Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge rising or falling?

Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge?

The highest level on record is 19.15 ft on November 5, 1985. The lowest is 0.09 ft on December 8, 1998.

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:02016000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.79180, -79.75949 (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	2.00 ft	2026-10-20 00:30	Provisional
Flow	238 cfs	2026-10-20 00:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge (usgs:02016000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/cowpasture-river-near-clifton-forge

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