TidalMapFrench Broad River at Rosman, 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 03439000 sits on the French Broad River and reads everything draining 68 square miles of the Upper French Broad basin. Its datum sits 2,174 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1908, 92 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 French Broad River at Blantyre, NC at 296 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 23% of the water measured there.
Normal flows here
The French Broad River runs a median of 183 cfs at this gauge across 92 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 270 cfs, and September the leanest at 118 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 6,220 cfs in 2024, and the lowest is 33 cfs in 2007.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 236 cfs | 129% |
| Feb | 251 cfs | 137% |
| Mar | 270 cfs | 148% |
| Apr | 266 cfs | 146% |
| May | 215 cfs | 117% |
| Jun | 174 cfs | 95% |
| Jul | 142 cfs | 78% |
| Aug | 128 cfs | 70% |
| Sep | 118 cfs | 65% |
| Oct | 121 cfs | 66% |
| Nov | 146 cfs | 80% |
| Dec | 192 cfs | 105% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1908 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 feet. NWS starts watching it at 7 feet. The highest crest on record is 14.9 feet, in October 1964.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 7 ft |
| Minor flooding | 9 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 13 ft |
| Major flooding | 14 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| October 1964 | 14.9 ft |
| September 2024 | 14.7 ft |
| August 1994 | 14.1 ft |
| August 2021 | 14.1 ft |
| July 1916 | 13.9 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ROSN7. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Davidson River near Brevard, NC
- French Broad River at Blantyre, NC
- West Fork Pigeon River above Lake Logan near Hazelwood, NC
- East Fork Pigeon River near Canton, NC
- West Fork Pigeon River at Bethel, NC
- Mills River near Mills River, NC
- Tuckasegee River at SR 1172 near Cullowhee, NC
- Pigeon River near Canton, NC
- French Broad River near Fletcher, NC
- Mud Creek at Secondary Road 1503 near Balfour, NC
- French Broad River at Blue Ridge Pkwy at Bent Creek NC
- Hominy Creek near West Asheville, NC
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 03439000. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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