TidalMapJames River at Scottsville, 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 02029000 sits on the James River and reads everything draining 4,581 square miles of the Middle James-Buffalo basin. Its datum sits 252 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1980, 47 years of it.
Where this gauge sits in the drainage
One gauged site sits upstream of here. The closest is James River at Bent Creek, VA, reading 3,649 square miles. This gauge adds the 932 square miles that drain in between. Downstream the next reading comes from James River at Cartersville, VA at 6,252 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 73% of the water measured there.
Normal flows here
The James River runs a median of 3,475 cfs at this gauge across 47 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 6,570 cfs, and September the leanest at 1,355 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 199,000 cfs in 1986, and the lowest is 452 cfs in 2002.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4,320 cfs | 124% |
| Feb | 5,230 cfs | 151% |
| Mar | 6,570 cfs | 189% |
| Apr | 5,735 cfs | 165% |
| May | 5,320 cfs | 153% |
| Jun | 2,775 cfs | 80% |
| Jul | 1,900 cfs | 55% |
| Aug | 1,640 cfs | 47% |
| Sep | 1,355 cfs | 39% |
| Oct | 1,430 cfs | 41% |
| Nov | 2,010 cfs | 58% |
| Dec | 3,680 cfs | 106% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1980 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
The James River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 20 feet. NWS starts watching it at 11 feet. The highest crest on record is 34 feet, in June 1972.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 11 ft |
| Minor flooding | 20 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 22 ft |
| Major flooding | 24 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| June 1972 | 34 ft |
| November 1985 | 31.8 ft |
| August 1969 | 30 ft |
| September 1996 | 28.2 ft |
| April 1987 | 26.2 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SVEV2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Hardware River below Briery Run near Scottsville, VA
- Slate River near Arvonia, VA
- Rivanna River at Palmyra, VA
- South Fork Rivanna River near Charlottesville, VA
- Mechums River near White Hall, VA
- Rockfish River near Greenfield, VA
- Moormans River near Free Union, VA
- North Fork Rivanna River near Earlysville, VA
- Holiday Creek near Andersonville, VA
- James River at Cartersville, VA
- James River at Bent Creek, VA
- South Anna River near Gordonsville, VA
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 02029000. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
Open James River at Scottsville, VA on the live chart →
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