French Broad River at Asheville, NC Flow & Water Level

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 03451500 sits on the French Broad River and reads everything draining 945 square miles of the Upper French Broad basin. Its datum sits 1,950 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1896, 130 years of it.

Where this gauge sits in the drainage

Four gauged sites sit upstream of here. The closest is French Broad River at Haywood Rd at Asheville, NC, reading 936 square miles. Downstream the next reading comes from French Broad River at Marshall, NC at 1,332 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 71% of the water measured there. Water passing here goes on to French Broad River at Hot Springs, NC.

Normal flows here

The French Broad River runs a median of 1,585 cfs at this gauge across 130 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 2,280 cfs, and October the leanest at 1,030 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 68,900 cfs in 2024, and the lowest is 174 cfs in 2008.

Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1896 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.

Flood stages and record crests

The French Broad River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 9.5 feet. NWS starts watching it at 6.5 feet. The highest crest on record is 24.8 feet, in September 2024.

Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge AVLN7. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.