Catoma Creek near Montgomery water level

Name: Catoma Creek near Montgomery 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, Catoma Creek, Alabama, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.51ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 AM EDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 3.7 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:32 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Low water at Catoma Creek near Montgomery: the gauge reads 1.51 ft, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.24 ft below the median of 1.75 ft for mid-October, based on 50 years of readings. It is 18.49 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.58 ft (−0.07 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.50 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.39 ft – 5.06 ft.

Compared with 50 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.75 ft0.24 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.45 ft – 2.20 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (50 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.58 ft−0.07 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.39 ft – 5.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.39 ft – 18.65 ft
Highest on record: 29.78 ftMarch 17, 1990
Forecast peak: 1.50 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 AM

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

33.00 ft: Flood waters reach I 65 and flooding of the interstate will occur as water levels rise above this stage.
32.70 ft: The CSX railroad bridge between Wells Road and Old Selma Road will begin to flood.
30.00 ft: The CSX railroad bridge just west of US 31 will begin to flood as water rises above 30 feet.
29.00 ft: Water reaches the US 31 bridge at Catoma Creek and the road begins to flood. Water begins to overflow US 331 near the bridge crossing over Catoma Creek as water rises above 29 feet.
28.00 ft: Considerable residential and street flooding occurs in the the vicinity of Old Selma and Hayneville Roads. Water overflows the bridge on Old Selma Road as water rises above 28 feet. Residential flooding occurs along Grovewood Drive and Fleming Road. Industrial and commercial flooding also occurs along the Mobile-Selma Highway and Interstate 65.
27.50 ft: The CSX railway will begin to flood in the vicinity of the bridge next to US 331 as water rises above 27.5 feet.
24.00 ft: Residential and street flooding becomes a problem...and increases rapidly above 24 feet. Several residences are threatened.
20.00 ft: Flooding of agricultural lands in the vicinity of the U.S. 331 Highway Bridge occurs.
1.51 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	29.78 ft	March 17, 1990
2	28.60 ft	February 25, 1961
3	28.13 ft	February 17, 1975
4	27.20 ft	March 4, 2001
5	27.14 ft	March 28, 2005
6	26.07 ft	July 8, 1994
7	26.00 ft	February 13, 2024
8	25.70 ft	March 8, 1958
9	25.59 ft	December 25, 2015
10	25.15 ft	April 8, 2014

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 76° 42° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 79° 48° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 78° 53° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 78° 54° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 76° 50° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 75° 51° – Wind 13 mph

26 Mon 77° 55° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:53 AM Sunset 07:08 PM Daylight 11 hr, 15 min First quarter 66%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Alabama River at MontgomeryRiver gauge, Alabama River	22.16 ft	High	−0.83 ft	5.9 mi
Alabama River near MontgomeryRiver gauge, Alabama River	27.08 ft	Normal	−0.71 ft	10 mi
Tallapoosa River near Mont.-Mont. Water WorksRiver gauge, Tallapoosa River	3.81 ft	Normal	+0.07 ft	11 mi
Coosa River at WetumpkaRiver gauge, Coosa River	11.65 ft	Low	−0.57 ft	17 mi
Tallapoosa River at MilsteadRiver gauge, Tallapoosa River	4.46 ft	Normal	+1.24 ft	25 mi
Alabama River below Robert F Henry L&d near BentonRiver gauge, Alabama River	81.59 ft	Low	+0.51 ft	28 mi
Alabama River at Robert F Henry Lock and DamRiver gauge, Alabama River	125.35 ft	High	−0.21 ft	28 mi
Uphapee Creek near TuskegeeRiver gauge, Uphapee Creek	0.95 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	37 mi

Questions and answers

How does Catoma Creek near Montgomery compare with last year?

It is 0.07 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.58 ft.

What is flood stage for Catoma Creek near Montgomery?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 18.49 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Catoma Creek near Montgomery in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.75 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.45 ft and 2.20 ft, based on 50 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 Catoma Creek near Montgomery today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 AM EDT, the water level was 1.51 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Catoma Creek near Montgomery rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.67 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Catoma Creek near Montgomery normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 50 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:02421000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.30736, -86.29941 (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	1.51 ft	2026-10-20 07:15	Provisional
Flow	3.7 cfs	2026-10-20 07:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Catoma Creek near Montgomery (usgs:02421000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alabama/catoma-creek-near-montgomery

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