TidalMapNew River at Radford, 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 03171000 sits on the New River and reads everything draining 2,767 square miles of the Upper New basin. Its datum sits 1,712 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1940, 87 years of it.
Where this gauge sits in the drainage
Claytor Reservoir at Claytor Dam near Radford, VA sits immediately upstream, so dam releases rather than rainfall set the flow here. Three gauged sites sit upstream of here. The closest is Claytor Reservoir at Claytor Dam near Radford, VA, reading 2,388 square miles. This gauge adds the 379 square miles that drain in between.
Normal flows here
The New River runs a median of 2,970 cfs at this gauge across 87 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 4,840 cfs, and September the leanest at 1,720 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 112,000 cfs in 2024, and the lowest is 568 cfs in 2008.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3,560 cfs | 120% |
| Feb | 4,450 cfs | 150% |
| Mar | 4,840 cfs | 163% |
| Apr | 4,450 cfs | 150% |
| May | 3,820 cfs | 129% |
| Jun | 3,085 cfs | 104% |
| Jul | 2,360 cfs | 79% |
| Aug | 2,090 cfs | 70% |
| Sep | 1,720 cfs | 58% |
| Oct | 1,850 cfs | 62% |
| Nov | 2,215 cfs | 75% |
| Dec | 2,900 cfs | 98% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1940 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
The New River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 14 feet. NWS starts watching it at 12 feet. The highest crest on record is 36 feet, in August 1940.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 12 ft |
| Minor flooding | 14 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 16 ft |
| Major flooding | 20 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| August 1940 | 36 ft |
| September 2024 | 31 ft |
| November 1977 | 24.1 ft |
| January 1995 | 24 ft |
| October 2018 | 23.8 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RDFV2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Little River at Graysontown, VA
- Big Indian Creek near Copper Valley, VA
- Walker Creek at Bane, VA
- Little River at White Oak Grove Rd near Riner, VA
- Greasy Creek near Indian Valley, VA
- New River at Allisonia, VA
- Little River at Gallimore Lane near Floyd, VA
- South Fork Roanoke River near Shawsville, VA
- Wolf Creek near Narrows, VA
- Burkes Fork at Bolt Mill Rd near Dugspur, VA
- Goose Creek at Rt 653 near Crockett Spring, VA
- New River at Glen Lyn, VA
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 03171000. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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