Dan River at South Boston water level

Name: Dan River at South Boston 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, Dan River, Virginia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

5.72ft Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 08:00 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 792 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:39 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 5.72 ft, the Dan River at South Boston is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 7.10 ft, based on 15 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.38 ft below typical. It is 16.28 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.12 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.66 ft and 6.13 ft.

Compared with 15 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 7.10 ft1.38 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.61 ft – 9.28 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (15 years of records)
Highest on record: 33.37 ftJune 24, 1972
Forecast peak: 5.90 ftWednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 22.00 ft, still 16.28 ft away.

What happens at each level

29.00 ft: Flooding from the Dan River inundates the intersection of Highway 501 and Route 58.
25.00 ft: Highway 501 between Route 58 and the Dan River is closed as it is covered by up to 2 feet of water.
23.00 ft: Water approaches Highway 501 between Route 58 and the Dan River.
19.00 ft: Flooding begins in low-lying agricultural land and woods.
5.72 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 29 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	33.37 ft	June 24, 1972
2	33.22 ft	September 8, 1996
3	32.57 ft	April 18, 1987
4	31.80 ft	August 16, 1940
5	31.47 ft	April 28, 1978
6	31.40 ft	October 13, 2018
7	30.67 ft	September 24, 1979
8	30.56 ft	February 9, 2020
9	30.50 ft	September 20, 1945
10	30.34 ft	March 23, 2003

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Dan River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Dan River near FranciscoRiver gauge, Dan River	1.54 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	79 mi
Dan River at Pine HallRiver gauge, Dan River	1.81 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	69 mi
Dan River near WentworthRiver gauge, Dan River	1.32 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	55 mi
Dan River at Stp near DanvilleRiver gauge, Dan River	4.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	28 mi
Dan River at PacesRiver gauge, Dan River	2.63 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	11 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Banister River at HalifaxRiver gauge, Banister River	59.5 cfs	Very low	+0.8 cfs	5.8 mi
Mayo Creek near Bethel HillRiver gauge, Mayo Creek	1.98 ft	Low	±0	11 mi
Hyco River below Abay D near McGehees MillRiver gauge, Hyco River	3.90 ft	Very high	±0	13 mi
Afterbay Reservoir at Dam near McGehees MillReservoir, Afterbay Reservoir	364.22 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	13 mi
Hyco Lake at Dam near RoxboroReservoir, Hyco Lake	407.72 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	15 mi
Roanoke (Staunton) River at RandolphRiver gauge, Roanoke (Staunton) River	4.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	18 mi
Roanoke (Staunton) River at BrooknealRiver gauge, Roanoke (Staunton) River	3.98 ft	Lowest on record	−0.04 ft	24 mi
Island Creek Reservoir at Dam near ClarksvilleReservoir, Island Creek Reservoir	258.47 ft	Normal	±0	26 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Dan River at South Boston?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 16.28 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Dan River at South Boston in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 7.10 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.61 ft and 9.28 ft, based on 15 years of records.

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 Dan River at South Boston today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 08:00 AM EDT, the water level was 5.72 ft. Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Dan River at South Boston rising or falling?

Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Dan River at South Boston normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 15 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Dan River at South Boston?

The highest level on record is 33.37 ft on June 24, 1972.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02076000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.69322, -78.90042 (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	5.72 ft	2026-10-19 12:00	Provisional
Flow	792 cfs	2026-10-19 12:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Dan River at South Boston (usgs:02076000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/dan-river-at-south-boston

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