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Shades Creek near Homewood water level

River gauge, Shades Creek, Alabama, United States

Directions

Right now

Normal for mid-October

Water level

3.48ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
8.1 cfs
Water temperature
60 °F
10 20 Highest onrecord 19.88 ft Minor floodstage 14.00 ft

History

History
3.54.04.55.0ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 203.54.04.55.0ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
46ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5Oct 12Oct 2046ftSep 21Oct 5Oct 20
510ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage510ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
46810ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202646810ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Shades Creek near Homewood, where the gauge shows 3.48 ft.

That puts it 0.03 ft below the median of 3.51 ft for mid-October, based on 13 years of readings. It is 10.52 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.55 ft (−0.07 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.41 ft – 5.78 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 60 °F.

Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.51 ft0.03 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
3.37 ft – 4.46 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (13 years of records)
Same day last year
3.55 ft−0.07 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
3.41 ft – 5.78 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
3.41 ft – 6.80 ft
Highest on record
19.88 ftSeptember 16, 2004

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 14.00 ft.

What happens at each level

19.50 ft
Water reaches the edge of the left downstream apartment complex.
17.50 ft
Water approaches the right upstream apartment complex with water covering much of the yard and nature walk.
14.00 ft
Water rises above bankfull and begins to flood some of the surrounding property including the nature walk.
3.48 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
119.88 ftSeptember 16, 2004
218.79 ftMay 4, 2021
317.09 ftOctober 7, 2021
416.97 ftFebruary 6, 2020
516.08 ftSeptember 22, 2002
615.35 ftApril 3, 2001
714.41 ftDecember 28, 2018
814.40 ftJune 20, 2026
913.57 ftMay 8, 2003
1013.52 ftSeptember 15, 2024

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 69° 46° – Wind 10 mph
19 Mon 71° 47° – Wind 11 mph
20 Tue 74° 51° – Wind 7 mph
21 Wed 76° 55° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 76° 55° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 77° 53° – Wind 5 mph
24 Sat 74° 53° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:56 AM Sunset 06:09 PM Daylight 11 hr, 13 min First quarter 66%

Map

Other gauges on Shades Creek

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Shades Creek at Elder St near SpringdaleRiver gauge, Shades Creek 1.5 cfs Normal −1.5 cfs 7 mi
Shades Creek near GreenwoodRiver gauge, Shades Creek 1.68 ft Low −0.01 ft 12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Valley Creek at Center St at BirminghamRiver gauge, Valley Creek 1.53 ft Below flood stage +0.01 ft 4.2 mi
Valley Creek at Ave W near EnsleyRiver gauge, Valley Creek 3.89 ft Below flood stage ±0 4.5 mi
Cahaba River near Cahaba HeightsRiver gauge, Cahaba River 1.40 ft Normal ±0 4.8 mi
Cahaba River near HooverRiver gauge, Cahaba River 2.60 ft Low +0.02 ft 5.7 mi
Cahaba River near ActonRiver gauge, Cahaba River 1.75 ft Very low −0.01 ft 5.9 mi
Village Creek at Avenue W at EnsleyRiver gauge, Village Creek 2.10 ft Normal +0.02 ft 6.1 mi
Cahaba River near Mountain BrookRiver gauge, Cahaba River 0.58 ft Normal −0.01 ft 6 mi
Little Cahaba River at Cah Bea Road near Cahaba HtsRiver gauge, Little Cahaba River 1.44 ft Normal +0.29 ft 7 mi

Questions and answers

How does Shades Creek near Homewood compare with last year?

It is 0.07 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.55 ft.

What is flood stage for Shades Creek near Homewood?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 10.52 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Shades Creek near Homewood in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.51 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.37 ft and 4.46 ft, based on 13 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 Shades Creek near Homewood today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:15 AM CDT, the water level was 3.48 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Shades Creek near Homewood rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.10 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Shades Creek near Homewood normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 13 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:02423586 (Agency page)
Coordinates
33.44872, -86.81360 (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 3.48 ft 2026-10-20 05:15 Provisional
Flow 8.1 cfs 2026-10-20 05:15 Provisional
Water temperature 60 °F 2026-10-20 05:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Shades Creek near Homewood (usgs:02423586). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alabama/shades-creek-near-homewood

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.