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Buttahatchee River below Hamilton water level

River gauge, Buttahatchee River, Alabama, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.29ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
65.7 cfs
0 13 25 38 Highest onrecord 35.49 ft Minor floodstage 20.00 ft

History

History
123ftOct 11Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17123ftOct 11Oct 14Oct 17
123ftSep 18Sep 25Oct 2Oct 10Oct 17123ftSep 18Oct 2Oct 17
-01020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-01020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
510ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026510ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Buttahatchee River below Hamilton: the gauge reads 1.29 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.60 ft, based on 39 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.31 ft below typical. It is 18.71 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.34 ft, a difference of −0.05 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.15 ft – 1.86 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 39 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.60 ft0.31 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.16 ft – 2.88 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (39 years of records)
Same day last year
1.34 ft−0.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.15 ft – 1.86 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.15 ft – 10.39 ft
Highest on record
35.49 ftMarch 16, 1973

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 20.00 ft.

What happens at each level

35.49 ft
Flood of record.
34.00 ft
Waterfront Drive just west of the Health Dept begins to flood. Much of the property around the first house on Waterfront Drive will begin to flood.
28.00 ft
Some basements and crawl spaces along Waterfront Drive begin to flood.
26.00 ft
A house near Steele Street and near Fulton Bridge will begin to flood.
23.00 ft
Much of the farmland downstream from the gage and south of the river is flooded or begins to flood.
20.00 ft
Some of the yards and property next to the river on Waterfront Drive will begin to flood.
13.00 ft
Water will begin to overflow the banks in various locations around the gage site.
1.29 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
135.49 ftMarch 16, 1973
232.73 ftDecember 25, 2015
328.87 ftDecember 23, 1990
428.33 ftDecember 18, 1967
528.23 ftMarch 4, 1977
626.95 ftMarch 13, 1975
726.95 ftNovember 24, 2004
826.75 ftApril 11, 1962
926.56 ftMay 19, 1983
1026.30 ftMarch 29, 1951

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 64° 45° – Wind 16 mph
18 Sun 70° 41° – Wind 9 mph
19 Mon 71° 44° – Wind 7 mph
20 Tue 76° 49° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 79° 51° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 80° 53° – Wind 4 mph
23 Fri 80° 54° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:59 AM Sunset 06:17 PM Daylight 11 hr, 17 min First quarter 42%

Map

Other gauges on the Buttahatchee River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Buttahatchee River near AberdeenRiver gauge, Buttahatchee River 4.86 ft Very low −0.06 ft 29 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Bear Creek near HackleburgRiver gauge, Bear Creek 11.3 cfs Low +1.8 cfs 17 mi
Bull Mountain Creek at TremontRiver gauge, Bull Mountain Creek 1.93 ft Very low ±0 19 mi
Bear Creek at RedbayRiver gauge, Bear Creek 77.5 cfs Normal +3.8 cfs 24 mi
Cummings Creek near FultonRiver gauge, Cummings Creek 2.37 ft Very low ±0 26 mi
Tombigbee River near FultonRiver gauge, Tombigbee River 7.16 ft Normal −0.11 ft 28 mi
Red Bud Creek near Moores MillRiver gauge, Red Bud Creek 4.91 ft Low ±0 30 mi
Tombigbee River at BigbeeRiver gauge, Tombigbee River 3.18 ft Very low −0.05 ft 31 mi
Clear Creek at New Hope Church near Poplar SpringsRiver gauge, Clear Creek 1.46 ft Normal −0.01 ft 32 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Buttahatchee River below Hamilton higher than last year?

No, it is 0.05 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.34 ft.

What is flood stage for the Buttahatchee River below Hamilton?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 18.71 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Buttahatchee River below Hamilton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.60 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.16 ft and 2.88 ft, based on 39 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 Buttahatchee River below Hamilton today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 11:30 AM CDT, the water level was 1.29 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Buttahatchee River below Hamilton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.23 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Buttahatchee River below Hamilton normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 39 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:02438000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
34.10621, -87.98948 (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 1.29 ft 2026-10-17 16:30 Provisional
Flow 65.7 cfs 2026-10-17 16:30 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Buttahatchee River below Hamilton (usgs:02438000). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alabama/buttahatchee-river-below-hamilton

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.