Middle River near Grottoes water level

Name: Middle River near Grottoes 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, Middle River, Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.32ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 99.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Middle River near Grottoes is at 3.32 ft, in the normal range.

It is 8.68 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.32 ft and 3.51 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: 35.62 ftSeptember 7, 1996

Floating and fishing near Middle River near Grottoes

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 8.68 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

26.00 ft: Water approaches homes on Rockfish Road.
23.00 ft: Water covers the bridges on Routes 774, 775, and 778.
16.00 ft: Water approaches a driveway near Route 778, and is approaching Route 774.
12.00 ft: Fields along the river begin to flood. Livestock should be moved to higher ground.
3.32 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	35.62 ft	September 7, 1996
2	33.09 ft	November 5, 1985
3	28.57 ft	March 18, 1936
4	26.30 ft	October 15, 1942
5	22.80 ft	May 1, 1924
6	22.74 ft	June 18, 1949
7	21.51 ft	June 22, 1972
8	21.08 ft	October 6, 1972
9	20.60 ft	December 1, 1934
10	20.50 ft	September 18, 1945

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 60° 33° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 63° 35° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 68° 38° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 65° 41° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 67° 40° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 67° 43° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 62° 42° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 11 hr, 5 min First quarter 61%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South River at HarristonRiver gauge, South River	2.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	3.3 mi
North River near BurketownRiver gauge, North River	2.43 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	6.1 mi
South F Shenandoah River near LynnwoodRiver gauge, South F Shenandoah River	2.61 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	7 mi
South River near DoomsRiver gauge, South River	2.09 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	12 mi
South River near WaynesboroRiver gauge, South River	2.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	14 mi
Muddy Creek at Mount ClintonRiver gauge, Muddy Creek	2.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	16 mi
Mechums River near White HallRiver gauge, Mechums River	25.3 cfs	Normal	−2.7 cfs	18 mi
Moormans River near Free UnionRiver gauge, Moormans River	14.9 cfs	Normal	−2.4 cfs	19 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Middle River near Grottoes?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 8.68 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 Middle River near Grottoes today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT, the water level was 3.32 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Middle River near Grottoes rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Middle River near Grottoes normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Middle River near Grottoes?

The highest level on record is 35.62 ft on September 7, 1996.

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:01625000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.26180, -78.86197 (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	3.32 ft	2026-10-19 16:15	Provisional
Flow	99.0 cfs	2026-10-19 16:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Middle River near Grottoes (usgs:01625000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/middle-river-near-grottoes

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