Nivelmap
EN

How to read levelsSources and methods

North America

Western Europe

Central Europe

Mediterranean

Nordic countries

James River at Bent Creek water level

River gauge, James River, Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.19ft Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
1,340 cfs
0 10 20 30 Highest onrecord 30.76 ft Minor floodstage 16.00 ft Lowest on record 0.90 ft

History

3.23.4ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 213.23.4ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.50 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:48 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at James River at Bent Creek reads 3.19 ft, a normal level.

It is 12.81 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.50 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 AM. There is still 12.81 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.09 ft and 3.50 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record
30.76 ftNovember 5, 1985
Lowest on record
0.90 ftJuly 11, 1975
Forecast peak
3.50 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 AM

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 12.81 ft away.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft
Some secondary roads are closed and some farm outbuildings affected.
18.00 ft
Flooding of farmlands and field roads in the area.
16.00 ft
Both banks begin to overflow, only pasture and cropland affected.
3.19 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: < 5 %.

RankLevelDate
130.76 ftNovember 5, 1985
227.13 ftJune 21, 1972
324.77 ftAugust 20, 1969
423.02 ftMarch 18, 1936
522.10 ftJanuary 20, 1996
621.73 ftApril 17, 1987
721.02 ftApril 22, 1992
820.25 ftSeptember 8, 1987
920.22 ftJanuary 24, 1935
1019.63 ftAugust 16, 1940

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:35 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the James River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
James River at Lick RunRiver gauge, James River 2.48 ft Below flood stage −0.32 ft 55 mi
James River at BuchananRiver gauge, James River 1,060 cfs Normal −310.0 cfs 47 mi
James River at Bedford Dam near MajorRiver gauge, James River 6.02 ft No reference yet ±0 30 mi
James River at Blue Ridge Pkwy near Big IslandRiver gauge, James River 1,460 cfs Normal −20.0 cfs 29 mi
James River at Holcomb RockRiver gauge, James River 4.74 ft Below flood stage +0.09 ft 24 mi
James River at ScottsvilleRiver gauge, James River 3.60 ft Below flood stage −0.21 ft 26 mi
James River at CartersvilleRiver gauge, James River 1.71 ft Below flood stage −0.45 ft 42 mi
James River near RichmondRiver gauge, James River 4.13 ft Below flood stage −0.20 ft 70 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Holiday Creek near AndersonvilleRiver gauge, Holiday Creek 2.8 cfs Normal −1.4 cfs 14 mi
Tye River near LovingstonRiver gauge, Tye River 2.75 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 15 mi
Piney River at Piney RiverRiver gauge, Piney River 2.32 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 16 mi
Harris Creek below Route 130 near MonroeRiver gauge, Harris Creek 3.0 cfs Very low +1.0 cfs 19 mi
Rockfish River near GreenfieldRiver gauge, Rockfish River 2.76 ft Below flood stage −0.07 ft 23 mi
Buffalo Creek near Hampden SydneyRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek 23.5 cfs Normal −3.0 cfs 27 mi
Pedlar River at Forest Road near Buena VistaRiver gauge, Pedlar River 5.9 cfs Low −0.6 cfs 27 mi
Slate River near ArvoniaRiver gauge, Slate River 2.50 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 27 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the James River at Bent Creek?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 12.81 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 James River at Bent Creek today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 05:45 PM EDT, the water level was 3.19 ft. Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is James River at Bent Creek rising or falling?

Up 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of James River at Bent Creek normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at James River at Bent Creek?

The highest level on record is 30.76 ft on November 5, 1985. The lowest is 0.90 ft on July 11, 1975.

Is James River at Bent Creek expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.50 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:02026000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
37.53625, -78.82946 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 3.19 ft 2026-10-18 21:45 Provisional
Flow 1,340 cfs 2026-10-18 21:45 Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: James River at Bent Creek (usgs:02026000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/james-river-at-bent-creek

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