Elk River at Prospect, TN 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 03584600 sits on the Elk River and reads everything draining 1,805 square miles of the Lower Elk basin. Its datum sits 559 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1972, 49 years of it.
Normal flows here
The Elk River runs a median of 1,675 cfs at this gauge across 49 years of record. January is the fullest month at a median 4,350 cfs, and September the leanest at 491 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 105,000 cfs in 1973, and the lowest is 101 cfs in 1999.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4,350 cfs | 260% |
| Feb | 3,620 cfs | 216% |
| Mar | 3,690 cfs | 220% |
| Apr | 3,115 cfs | 186% |
| May | 1,370 cfs | 82% |
| Jun | 872 cfs | 52% |
| Jul | 705 cfs | 42% |
| Aug | 548 cfs | 33% |
| Sep | 491 cfs | 29% |
| Oct | 616 cfs | 37% |
| Nov | 1,915 cfs | 114% |
| Dec | 3,820 cfs | 228% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1972 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
The Elk River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 25 feet. NWS starts watching it at 22 feet. The highest crest on record is 40.9 feet, in March 1902.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 22 ft |
| Minor flooding | 25 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 37 ft |
| Major flooding | 40 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| March 1902 | 40.9 ft |
| March 1973 | 40.1 ft |
| March 1955 | 39 ft |
| February 1948 | 38.2 ft |
| March 1975 | 37.1 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PSPT1. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Richland Creek at Hwy 64 Bypass at Pulaski, TN
- Elk River above Fayetteville, TN
- Duck River at Mile 156 near Pottsville, TN
- Shoal Creek at Iron City, TN
- Duck River above Milltown, TN
- Duck River at Columbia, TN
- Duck River at Halls Mill Bridge, TN
- Duck River near Shelbyville, TN
- Duck River at Shelbyville, TN
- Duck River near Shady Grove, TN
- Wartrace Creek below County Road at Wartrace, TN
- Harpeth River at Mcdaniel, TN
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 03584600. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
Open Elk River at Prospect, TN on the live chart →
River pins, dam-release overlays and wadability lines live in the app, start a free TidalMap trial.