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Cahaba River near Acton water level

River gauge, Cahaba River, Alabama, United States

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.75ft Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
23.4 cfs
2 3 4

History

History
234ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 18234ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
2468ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 10Oct 182468ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 202651015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
51015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202651015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

At 1.75 ft, the Cahaba River near Acton is far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.10 ft, based on 36 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.35 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 1.65 ft, a difference of +0.10 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.59 ft and 5.39 ft.

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

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
2.10 ft0.35 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.85 ft – 4.08 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year
1.65 ft+0.10 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.59 ft – 5.39 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.56 ft – 13.82 ft

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 67° 47° – Wind 16 mph
18 Sun 70° 45° – Wind 10 mph
19 Mon 71° 42° – Wind 8 mph
20 Tue 75° 49° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 77° 51° – Wind 4 mph
22 Thu 78° 53° – Wind 4 mph
23 Fri 77° 51° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:55 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 11 hr, 17 min First quarter 45%

Map

Other gauges on the Cahaba River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cahaba River near TrussvilleRiver gauge, Cahaba River 0.49 ft No reference yet −0.02 ft 24 mi
Cahaba River at TrussvilleRiver gauge, Cahaba River 0.0 cfs Low ±0 22 mi
Cahaba River near Whites ChapelRiver gauge, Cahaba River 1.17 ft Normal ±0 23 mi
Cahaba River near Mountain BrookRiver gauge, Cahaba River 0.61 ft Normal −0.06 ft 10 mi
Cahaba River near Cahaba HeightsRiver gauge, Cahaba River 1.41 ft Normal ±0 5.6 mi
Cahaba River near HooverRiver gauge, Cahaba River 2.60 ft Low −0.13 ft 1.7 mi
Cahaba River near HelenaRiver gauge, Cahaba River 1.44 ft Normal −0.01 ft 7 mi
Cahaba River near West BloctonRiver gauge, Cahaba River 2.09 ft Below flood stage −0.05 ft 23 mi
Cahaba River at CentrevilleRiver gauge, Cahaba River 0.59 ft Low −0.01 ft 35 mi
Cahaba River near SuttleRiver gauge, Cahaba River 3.35 ft Low −0.19 ft 62 mi
Cahaba River near Marion JunctionRiver gauge, Cahaba River 2.17 ft Normal −0.14 ft 67 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cahaba Valley Creek at Indian Trail Road near Indian SpringsRiver gauge, Cahaba Valley Creek 3.69 ft Below flood stage ±0 3.3 mi
Cahaba Valley Creek at Cross Creek Road at PelhamRiver gauge, Cahaba Valley Creek 2.34 ft Normal ±0 3.5 mi
Shades Creek near HomewoodRiver gauge, Shades Creek 3.45 ft Normal −0.01 ft 5.9 mi
Shades Creek near GreenwoodRiver gauge, Shades Creek 1.87 ft Normal −0.03 ft 8 mi
Little Cahaba River at Cah Bea Road near Cahaba HtsRiver gauge, Little Cahaba River 1.13 ft Low −0.20 ft 8 mi
Valley Creek at Ave W near EnsleyRiver gauge, Valley Creek 3.89 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 10 mi
Valley Creek at Center St at BirminghamRiver gauge, Valley Creek 1.52 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 10 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Cahaba River near Acton higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.10 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.65 ft.

What is a normal level for the Cahaba River near Acton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.10 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.85 ft and 4.08 ft, based on 36 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 Cahaba River near Acton today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 08:00 PM CDT, the water level was 1.75 ft. Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cahaba River near Acton rising or falling?

Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 2.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cahaba River near Acton normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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:02423500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
33.36344, -86.81304 (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 1.75 ft 2026-10-18 01:00 Provisional
Flow 23.4 cfs 2026-10-18 01:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cahaba River near Acton (usgs:02423500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alabama/cahaba-river-near-acton

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.