Valley Creek at Center St at Birmingham water level

Name: Valley Creek at Center St at Birmingham 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, Valley Creek, Alabama, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.53ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:25 PM CDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 7.8 cfs
Water temperature: 69 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Valley Creek at Center St at Birmingham, where the gauge shows 1.53 ft.

It is 9.47 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.52 ft – 1.56 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 69 °F.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 12.89 ftSeptember 15, 2024

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 11.00 ft.

What happens at each level

17.00 ft: Water approaches the rail road tracks just north of the bridge between 17 and 18 feet.
14.50 ft: Water begins to overflow the south side of bridge.
11.00 ft: Water begins to overflow on south side/left bank of creek and approaches the road south of the bridge around 11.5 feet.
1.53 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.89 ft	September 15, 2024
2	12.17 ft	July 24, 2024
3	12.17 ft	September 4, 2022
4	11.79 ft	September 4, 2022
5	11.79 ft	September 17, 2023
6	11.45 ft	January 9, 2026
7	11.36 ft	March 5, 2025
8	11.11 ft	June 19, 2023

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 71° 43° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 71° 43° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 76° 45° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 76° 55° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 76° 55° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 77° 54° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 74° 56° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:56 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 11 hr, 15 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on Valley Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Valley Creek at Ave W near EnsleyRiver gauge, Valley Creek	3.89 ft	Below flood stage	±0	2.2 mi
Valley Creek below BrightonRiver gauge, Valley Creek	1.34 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Valley Creek near BessemerRiver gauge, Valley Creek	5.52 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Valley Creek near Oak GroveRiver gauge, Valley Creek	3.13 ft	Low	+0.02 ft	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Village Creek at Avenue W at EnsleyRiver gauge, Village Creek	2.08 ft	Low	±0	2.6 mi
Village Creek near Pratt City, AlabamaRiver gauge, Village Creek	1.20 ft	Normal	±0	3.4 mi
Shades Creek near HomewoodRiver gauge, Shades Creek	3.48 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	4.2 mi
TRIB TO VILLAGE CREEK AT 50th ST IN BIRMINGHAMRiver gauge	0.44 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	5.2 mi
Village Creek near Docena, AlabamaRiver gauge, Village Creek	1.22 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	5.9 mi
Fivemile Creek near RepublicRiver gauge, Fivemile Creek	1.09 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	7 mi
Shades Creek at Elder St near SpringdaleRiver gauge, Shades Creek	1.1 cfs	Normal	−2.4 cfs	7 mi
Cahaba River near Mountain BrookRiver gauge, Cahaba River	0.56 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Valley Creek at Center St at Birmingham?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 9.47 ft below it.

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 Valley Creek at Center St at Birmingham today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:25 PM CDT, the water level was 1.53 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Valley Creek at Center St at Birmingham rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Valley Creek at Center St at Birmingham normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Valley Creek at Center St at Birmingham?

The highest level on record is 12.89 ft on September 15, 2024.

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:02461130 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.50577, -86.83646 (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	1.53 ft	2026-10-19 23:25	Provisional
Flow	7.8 cfs	2026-10-19 23:25	Provisional
Water temperature	69 °F	2026-10-19 23:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Valley Creek at Center St at Birmingham (usgs:02461130). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alabama/valley-creek-at-center-st-at-birmingham

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