TidalMapCape Fear River at Lock 1 near Kelly, NC Flow & Water Level
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 02105769 sits on the Cape Fear River and reads everything draining 5,255 square miles of the Lower Cape Fear basin. Its datum sits 4 feet below sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1982, 44 years of it.
Normal flows here
The Cape Fear River runs a median of 2,030 cfs at this gauge across 44 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 6,960 cfs, and October the leanest at 1,390 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 76,300 cfs in 2018, and the lowest is 179 cfs in 2002.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5,740 cfs | 283% |
| Feb | 5,680 cfs | 280% |
| Mar | 6,960 cfs | 343% |
| Apr | 4,650 cfs | 229% |
| May | 2,130 cfs | 105% |
| Jun | 1,830 cfs | 90% |
| Jul | 1,630 cfs | 80% |
| Aug | 1,710 cfs | 84% |
| Sep | 1,515 cfs | 75% |
| Oct | 1,390 cfs | 68% |
| Nov | 1,815 cfs | 89% |
| Dec | 3,010 cfs | 148% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1982 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
The Cape Fear River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 24 feet. NWS starts watching it at 22 feet. The highest crest on record is 30.7 feet, in September 2018.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 22 ft |
| Minor flooding | 24 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 26 ft |
| Major flooding | 28 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| September 2018 | 30.7 ft |
| September 1945 | 29.8 ft |
| October 2016 | 28.6 ft |
| October 1964 | 26 ft |
| March 1979 | 24.9 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CPFN7. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Black River near Tomahawk, NC
- Waccamaw River at Freeland, NC
- Northeast Cape Fear River near Burgaw, NC
- Big Swamp near Tar Heel, NC
- Northeast Cape Fear River near Chinquapin, NC
- Lumber River at Boardman, NC
- Cape Fear River at Wilm O Huske Lock near Tarheel, NC
- Lumber River at Lumberton, NC
- Cape Fear River at Fayetteville, NC
- Blounts Creek at Winslow Street at Fayetteville NC
- Cross Creek at Blue Street at Fayetteville, NC
- New River near Gum Branch, NC
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 02105769. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
Open Cape Fear River at Lock 1 near Kelly, NC on the live chart →
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