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Sipsey River near Elrod water level

River gauge, Sipsey River, Alabama, United States

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Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

4.92ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
69.3 cfs
5 8

History

History
6810ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 196810ftOct 13Oct 16Oct 19
46810ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 11Oct 1946810ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 19
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 202651015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
51015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202651015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

At 4.92 ft, the Sipsey River near Elrod is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 5.71 ft, based on 48 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.79 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 5.30 ft, a difference of −0.38 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.10 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 4.59 ft and 5.48 ft.

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

Compared with 48 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
5.71 ft0.79 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
4.72 ft – 8.89 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (48 years of records)
Same day last year
5.30 ft−0.38 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
4.59 ft – 5.48 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
4.59 ft – 14.43 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.

18 Sun 71° 43° – Wind 10 mph
19 Mon 71° 43° – Wind 8 mph
20 Tue 77° 46° – Wind 5 mph
21 Wed 79° 52° – Wind 4 mph
22 Thu 79° 52° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 80° 52° – Wind 5 mph
24 Sat 76° 51° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:59 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 11 hr, 15 min First quarter 56%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Black Warrior River below Oliver L&d near TuscaloosaRiver gauge, Black Warrior River 96.08 ft Normal −0.04 ft 11 mi
Black Warrior River at NorthportRiver gauge, Black Warrior River 123.68 ft Normal −0.19 ft 11 mi
Cribbs Mill Creek at Ww Plant at TuscaloosaRiver gauge, Cribbs Mill Creek 6.7 cfs Normal +0.2 cfs 13 mi
Lake Tuscaloosa near Tuscaloosa, AlabamaLake, Lake Tuscaloosa 221.07 ft Very low −0.04 ft 16 mi
North River near SamanthaRiver gauge, North River 1.66 ft Normal −0.01 ft 19 mi
Black Warrior River below Holt L&d near HoltRiver gauge, Black Warrior River 123.69 ft Normal +0.23 ft 19 mi
Black Warrior River at Holt L&d near HoltRiver gauge, Black Warrior River 186.27 ft Very low −0.05 ft 19 mi
Elliotts Creek at MoundvilleRiver gauge, Elliotts Creek 1.68 ft Very low +0.01 ft 20 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Sipsey River near Elrod higher than last year?

No, it is 0.38 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.30 ft.

What is a normal level for the Sipsey River near Elrod in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.71 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.72 ft and 8.89 ft, based on 48 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 Sipsey River near Elrod today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:00 AM CDT, the water level was 4.92 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Sipsey River near Elrod rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.14 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Sipsey River near Elrod normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 48 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:02446500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
33.25710, -87.77641 (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 4.92 ft 2026-10-19 05:00 Provisional
Flow 69.3 cfs 2026-10-19 05:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sipsey River near Elrod (usgs:02446500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alabama/sipsey-river-near-elrod

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.