TidalMapCatawba Creek near Catawba, VA 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 02018500 sits on Catawba Creek and reads everything draining 34 square miles of the Upper James basin. Its datum sits 1,300 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1975, 51 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 James River at Buchanan, VA at 2,073 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 2% of the water measured there.
Normal flows here
Catawba Creek runs a median of 13 cfs at this gauge across 51 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 39 cfs, and September the leanest at 5.6 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 7,400 cfs in 1986, and the lowest is 0.2 cfs in 2002.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 cfs | 131% |
| Feb | 28 cfs | 215% |
| Mar | 39 cfs | 300% |
| Apr | 33 cfs | 254% |
| May | 24 cfs | 185% |
| Jun | 13 cfs | 100% |
| Jul | 8.7 cfs | 67% |
| Aug | 6.6 cfs | 51% |
| Sep | 5.6 cfs | 43% |
| Oct | 6.8 cfs | 52% |
| Nov | 9.7 cfs | 75% |
| Dec | 13 cfs | 100% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1975 to 2025. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
Catawba Creek reaches flood stage at this gauge at 7 feet. NWS starts watching it at 5 feet. The highest crest on record is 19.2 feet, in November 1985.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 5 ft |
| Minor flooding | 7 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 11 ft |
| Major flooding | 14 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| November 1985 | 19.2 ft |
| June 1995 | 11.3 ft |
| June 1972 | 10.3 ft |
| September 2004 | 10.3 ft |
| June 1997 | 9.9 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CTWV2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Tinker Creek near Daleville, VA
- Johns Creek at New Castle, VA
- Lick Run above Patton Avenue at Roanoke, VA
- Tinker Creek above Glade Creek at Roanoke, VA
- Craig Creek at Parr, VA
- Roanoke River at Roanoke, VA
- Roanoke River at Glenvar, VA
- Roanoke River at Niagara, VA
- Potts Creek near Covington, VA
- Back Creek near Dundee, VA
- Roanoke River at Lafayette, VA
- Jackson River below Dunlap Creek at Covington, VA
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 02018500. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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