Blackwater River near Dendron, VA Water Level Today

NWS river forecast

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 02047500 sits on the Blackwater River and reads everything draining 290 square miles of the Blackwater basin. Its datum sits essentially at sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1942, 82 years of it.

Where this gauge sits in the drainage

No gauged site sits above this one on the mainstem, so this is the first published reading on the river. Downstream the next reading comes from Blackwater River at Route 620 near Zuni, VA at 420 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 69% of the water measured there. Water passing here goes on to Blackwater River near Franklin, VA and Blackwater River at Hwys 58/258 at Franklin, VA.

Normal flows here

The Blackwater River runs a median of 116 cfs at this gauge across 82 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 450 cfs, and September the leanest at 16 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 11,400 cfs in 1999, and the lowest is 0.0 cfs in 1991.

Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1942 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.

Flood stages and record crests

The Blackwater River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 36.3 feet. NWS starts watching it at 35.3 feet. The highest crest on record is 46.4 feet, in September 1999.

Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DNDV2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.