Smith River at Smith River Church near Woolwine, 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 02071530 sits on the Smith River and reads everything draining 26 square miles of the Upper Dan basin. Its datum sits 1,217 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1995, 31 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 Philpott Res at Philpott Dam near Philpott, VA at 214 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 12% of the water measured there. Water passing here goes on to Smith River near Philpott, VA and Smith River at Bassett, VA.

Normal flows here

The Smith River runs a median of 37 cfs at this gauge across 31 years of record. April is the fullest month at a median 54 cfs, and September the leanest at 20 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 2,200 cfs in 2015, and the lowest is 3.8 cfs in 2002.

Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1995 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.

Flood stages and record crests

The Smith River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 9 feet. NWS starts watching it at 8 feet. The highest crest on record is 16.1 feet, in September 2015.

Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge SMWV2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.