Russell Fork at Haysi, VA Water Level Today

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 03208500 sits on the Russell Fork and reads everything draining 286 square miles of the Upper Levisa basin. Its datum sits 1,237 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1926, 98 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 Russell Fork at Bartlick, VA at 526 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 54% of the water measured there. Water passing here goes on to Russell Fork at Cedarville, KY and Levisa Fork at Pikeville, KY.

Normal flows here

The Russell Fork runs a median of 117 cfs at this gauge across 98 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 436 cfs, and October the leanest at 31 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 30,600 cfs in 1977, and the lowest is 0.2 cfs in 1936.

Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1926 to 2025. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.

Flood stages and record crests

The Russell Fork reaches flood stage at this gauge at 16 feet. NWS starts watching it at 15 feet. The highest crest on record is 28.2 feet, in April 1977.

Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HAIV2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.