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SwedenJames River at Cartersville water level
River gauge, James River, Virginia, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 1,590 cfs
- Water temperature
- 64 °F
History
The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:48 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
The gauge at James River at Cartersville reads 1.76 ft, a normal level.
It is 18.24 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft.
The level is falling, down 0.30 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.76 ft and 2.88 ft.
The water temperature at the gauge is 64 °F.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 32.60 ftNovember 6, 1985
- Forecast peak
- 2.10 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM
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 20.00 ft, still 18.24 ft away.
What happens at each level
- 45.00 ft
- River stage sensor operating limit
- 34.35 ft
- Stage of the 100 year flood.
- 32.26 ft
- Stage of the 50 year flood.
- 30.00 ft
- Flood waters overtop the railroad tracks on the left hand side of the river approximately 1/4 of a mile from the river bank. Access to the Cartersville Bridge, VA Route 45 is cut off from north side.
- 29.00 ft
- Overflow on left bank reaches railroad bed. 7-9 feet of water over the flood plain on left bank of river and downstream.
- 26.40 ft
- Major flooding begins. Many secondary roads flooded.
- 23.50 ft
- Cartersville Boat landing parking lot and boat ramp on righthand side of the river and 200 ft downstream of State Route 45 bridge is flooded.
- 23.00 ft
- Moderate flooding begins. Secondary roads parallel to left bank of river flood.
- 21.00 ft
- Approach to old highway bridge and portions of the farm land on the left hand side of the river are flooded.
- 20.00 ft
- Minor flooding begins. Overflow onto flood plain along left bank.
- 1.76 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 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32.60 ft | November 6, 1985 |
| 2 | 28.96 ft | September 7, 1996 |
| 3 | 27.96 ft | April 18, 1987 |
| 4 | 27.12 ft | October 6, 1972 |
| 5 | 26.45 ft | January 21, 1996 |
| 6 | 26.33 ft | February 26, 1979 |
| 7 | 26.04 ft | March 20, 1975 |
| 8 | 25.41 ft | April 23, 1992 |
| 9 | 25.08 ft | January 27, 1978 |
| 10 | 24.47 ft | February 24, 2003 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the James River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James River at Lick RunRiver gauge, James River | 2.53 ft | Below flood stage | −0.32 ft | 93 mi |
| James River at BuchananRiver gauge, James River | 1,080 cfs | Normal | −310.0 cfs | 88 mi |
| James River at Bedford Dam near MajorRiver gauge, James River | 6.02 ft | No reference yet | +0.03 ft | 71 mi |
| James River at Blue Ridge Pkwy near Big IslandRiver gauge, James River | 1,500 cfs | Normal | +130 cfs | 71 mi |
| James River at Holcomb RockRiver gauge, James River | 4.77 ft | Below flood stage | +0.13 ft | 65 mi |
| James River at Bent CreekRiver gauge, James River | 3.15 ft | Below flood stage | +0.03 ft | 42 mi |
| James River at ScottsvilleRiver gauge, James River | 3.58 ft | Below flood stage | −0.34 ft | 24 mi |
| James River near RichmondRiver gauge, James River | 4.13 ft | Below flood stage | −0.25 ft | 30 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Creek at Fine Creek MillsRiver gauge, Fine Creek | 5.8 cfs | Normal | −2.7 cfs | 15 mi |
| Slate River near ArvoniaRiver gauge, Slate River | 2.50 ft | Below flood stage | +0.01 ft | 16 mi |
| Rivanna River at PalmyraRiver gauge, Rivanna River | 2.76 ft | Below flood stage | −0.14 ft | 16 mi |
| Appomattox River at MattoaxRiver gauge, Appomattox River | 7.11 ft | Below flood stage | +0.04 ft | 21 mi |
| Hardware River below Briery Run near ScottsvilleRiver gauge, Hardware River | 30.2 cfs | Normal | −7.3 cfs | 22 mi |
| Appomattox River at Route 602 near MannboroRiver gauge, Appomattox River | 2.86 ft | Below flood stage | +0.17 ft | 29 mi |
| James River and Kanawha Canal near RichmondCanal gauge, James River and Kanawha Canal | 150 cfs | Normal | ±0 | 29 mi |
| Deep Creek near MannboroRiver gauge, Deep Creek | 26.0 cfs | Normal | +9.6 cfs | 29 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the James River at Cartersville?
The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 18.24 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 Cartersville today?
On Oct 18, 2026, 02:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.76 ft. Down 0.30 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is James River at Cartersville rising or falling?
Down 0.30 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of James River at Cartersville 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 Cartersville?
The highest level on record is 32.60 ft on November 6, 1985.
Is James River at Cartersville expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.10 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:02035000(Agency page)- Coordinates
37.67098, -78.08583(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 | 1.76 ft | 2026-10-18 18:45 | Provisional |
| Flow | 1,590 cfs | 2026-10-18 18:45 | Provisional |
| Water temperature | 64 °F | 2026-10-18 18:00 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: James River at Cartersville (usgs:02035000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/james-river-at-cartersville
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