TidalMapCahaba River near Suttle, 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 02424590 sits on the Cahaba River and reads everything draining 1,480 square miles of the Cahaba basin. Its datum sits 98 feet above sea level NGVD29. Daily flow is on record here from 1987 to 2012, 24 years in all.
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 Cahaba River near Marion Junction AL at 1,766 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 84% of the water measured there.
Normal flows here
The Cahaba River runs a median of 996 cfs at this gauge across 24 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 3,260 cfs, and October the leanest at 571 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 64,100 cfs in 1990, and the lowest is 226 cfs in 2001.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1,940 cfs | 195% |
| Feb | 2,680 cfs | 269% |
| Mar | 3,260 cfs | 327% |
| Apr | 2,140 cfs | 215% |
| May | 1,180 cfs | 118% |
| Jun | 824 cfs | 83% |
| Jul | 719 cfs | 72% |
| Aug | 582 cfs | 58% |
| Sep | 575 cfs | 58% |
| Oct | 571 cfs | 57% |
| Nov | 840 cfs | 84% |
| Dec | 1,310 cfs | 131% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1987 to 2012. 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 Cahaba River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 32 feet. NWS starts watching it at 28 feet. The highest crest on record is 44 feet, in February 1961.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 28 ft |
| Minor flooding | 32 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 43 ft |
| Major flooding | 55 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| February 1961 | 44 ft |
| March 1951 | 42.8 ft |
| April 1979 | 41.5 ft |
| February 1990 | 41.1 ft |
| March 1976 | 40.2 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SUTA1. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Cahaba River near Marion Junction AL
- Alabama River at Selma AL
- Bogue Chitto Creek at Co Rd 115 below Orrville, AL
- Mulberry Creek at Jones AL
- Cahaba River at Centreville AL
- Alabama River at Robert F Henry Lock and Dam
- Alabama River below Robert F Henry L&d near Benton,al
- Alabama River below Millers Ferry L&d near Camden AL
- Pine Barren Creek near Snow Hill, AL
- Little Cahaba River near Brierfield AL
- Cahaba River near West Blocton AL
- Elliotts Creek at Moundville AL
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 02424590. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
Open Cahaba River near Suttle, AL on the live chart →
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