Alabama River at Selma AL Water Level Today
NWS river forecast
| When | Stage | Flow |
|---|
Forecast from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service. Issued a few times a day and only while a forecast is active. Not for navigation.
Last 30 days
About this gauge
USGS gauge 02423000 sits on the Alabama River and reads everything draining 17,095 square miles of the Upper Alabama basin. Its datum sits 62 feet above sea level NGVD29. Daily flow is on record here from 1900 to 1970, 56 years in all.
Where this gauge sits in the drainage
One gauged site sits upstream of here. The closest is Alabama River below Robert F Henry L&d near Benton,al, reading 16,233 square miles. This gauge adds the 862 square miles that drain in between.
Normal flows here
The Alabama River runs a median of 14,200 cfs at this gauge across 56 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 41,100 cfs, and October the leanest at 9,510 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 279,000 cfs in 1961, and the lowest is 3,300 cfs in 1905.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25,900 cfs | 182% |
| Feb | 38,900 cfs | 274% |
| Mar | 41,100 cfs | 289% |
| Apr | 33,100 cfs | 233% |
| May | 18,900 cfs | 133% |
| Jun | 14,050 cfs | 99% |
| Jul | 12,600 cfs | 89% |
| Aug | 12,100 cfs | 85% |
| Sep | 9,985 cfs | 70% |
| Oct | 9,510 cfs | 67% |
| Nov | 9,915 cfs | 70% |
| Dec | 15,800 cfs | 111% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1900 to 1970. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median. USGS stopped publishing a daily flow record at this gauge, so these are historical norms, not a baseline for current readings.
Flood stages and record crests
The Alabama River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 45 feet. NWS starts watching it at 30 feet. The highest crest on record is 58 feet, in March 1961.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 30 ft |
| Minor flooding | 45 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 48 ft |
| Major flooding | 52 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| March 1961 | 58 ft |
| April 1986 | 57 ft |
| April 1886 | 57 ft |
| March 1990 | 56.8 ft |
| December 1948 | 56 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SELA1. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Cahaba River near Marion Junction AL
- Mulberry Creek at Jones AL
- Cahaba River near Suttle, AL
- Alabama River at Robert F Henry Lock and Dam
- Alabama River below Robert F Henry L&d near Benton,al
- Bogue Chitto Creek at Co Rd 115 below Orrville, AL
- Pine Barren Creek near Snow Hill, AL
- Alabama River below Millers Ferry L&d near Camden AL
- Big Swamp Creek SW of Hayneville, AL
- Cahaba River at Centreville AL
- Alabama River near Montgomery, AL
- Walnut Creek above Clanton, Ala
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 02423000. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
Open Alabama River at Selma AL on the live chart →
River pins, dam-release overlays and wadability lines live in the app, start a free TidalMap trial.