South F Holston River at Riverside, near Chilhowie water level

Name: South F Holston River at Riverside, near Chilhowie 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, South F Holston River, Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.97ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:45 AM EDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 57.5 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at South F Holston River at Riverside, near Chilhowie, where the gauge shows 1.97 ft.

It is 5.03 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.97 ft – 2.23 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: 10.87 ftSeptember 27, 2024

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 7.00 ft.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: WATER REACHES THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ROUTE 645 BRIDGE AT THE GAGE.
10.00 ft: FLOODING OF ROUTE 660 NEAR THE GAGE.
7.00 ft: ROUTE 660 DOWNSTREAM FROM THE GAGE BEGINS TO FLOOD.
1.97 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.87 ft	September 27, 2024
2	10.20 ft	November 6, 1977
3	9.00 ft	June 12, 1923
4	8.89 ft	April 5, 1977
5	8.68 ft	January 15, 1995
6	8.32 ft	January 29, 1957
7	8.27 ft	December 18, 1961
8	8.18 ft	August 1, 1958
9	8.08 ft	November 19, 2003
10	7.84 ft	December 7, 1950

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.05 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 70° 38° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 68° 42° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 65° 43° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 67° 44° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 66° 41° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 67° 41° – Wind 7 mph

26 Mon 67° 43° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:40 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the South F Holston River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South F Holston River near DamascusRiver gauge, South F Holston River	176 cfs	Normal	−12.0 cfs	14 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle F Holston River at Seven Mile FordRiver gauge, Middle F Holston River	1.36 ft	Below flood stage	±0	3.3 mi
Middle F Holston River near MeadowviewRiver gauge, Middle F Holston River	111 cfs	Normal	−7.0 cfs	11 mi
North F Holston River near SaltvilleRiver gauge, North F Holston River	1.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	11 mi
South Fork New River near JeffersonRiver gauge, South Fork New River	2.13 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	28 mi
Beaver Creek at BristolRiver gauge, Beaver Creek	13.2 cfs	Normal	±0	29 mi
Clinch River at ClevelandRiver gauge, Clinch River	2.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	32 mi
New River near GalaxRiver gauge, New River	1.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	37 mi
Watauga River near Sugar GroveRiver gauge, Watauga River	1.72 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South F Holston River at Riverside, near Chilhowie?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 5.03 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 South F Holston River at Riverside, near Chilhowie today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:45 AM EDT, the water level was 1.97 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South F Holston River at Riverside, near Chilhowie rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.13 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South F Holston River at Riverside, near Chilhowie normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South F Holston River at Riverside, near Chilhowie?

The highest level on record is 10.87 ft on September 27, 2024.

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:03471500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.76039, -81.63123 (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	1.97 ft	2026-10-21 07:45	Provisional
Flow	57.5 cfs	2026-10-21 07:45	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

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

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/11118?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South F Holston River at Riverside, near Chilhowie water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South F Holston River at Riverside, near Chilhowie (usgs:03471500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/south-f-holston-river-at-riverside-near-chilhowie

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