Buttahatchee River below Hamilton water level
River gauge, Buttahatchee River, Alabama, United States
Right now
Low for mid-October
Water level
- Flow
- 65.7 cfs
History
20252026
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
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35.49 ft | March 16, 1973 |
| 2 | 32.73 ft | December 25, 2015 |
| 3 | 28.87 ft | December 23, 1990 |
| 4 | 28.33 ft | December 18, 1967 |
| 5 | 28.23 ft | March 4, 1977 |
| 6 | 26.95 ft | March 13, 1975 |
| 7 | 26.95 ft | November 24, 2004 |
| 8 | 26.75 ft | April 11, 1962 |
| 9 | 26.56 ft | May 19, 1983 |
| 10 | 26.30 ft | March 29, 1951 |
Weather at the gauge
No rain in the last 3 days.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
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
| Parameter | Last value | Time (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.
Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer