TidalMapSouth Fork New River near Jefferson, 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 03161000 sits on the South Fork New River and reads everything draining 205 square miles of the Upper New basin. Its datum sits 2,657 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1925, 100 years of it.
Normal flows here
The South Fork New River runs a median of 346 cfs at this gauge across 100 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 479 cfs, and September the leanest at 224 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 27,700 cfs in 1940, and the lowest is 65 cfs in 1925.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 405 cfs | 117% |
| Feb | 442 cfs | 128% |
| Mar | 479 cfs | 139% |
| Apr | 468 cfs | 135% |
| May | 399 cfs | 115% |
| Jun | 334 cfs | 97% |
| Jul | 282 cfs | 82% |
| Aug | 258 cfs | 75% |
| Sep | 224 cfs | 65% |
| Oct | 254 cfs | 74% |
| Nov | 294 cfs | 85% |
| Dec | 352 cfs | 102% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1925 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
The South Fork New River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 8 feet. NWS starts watching it at 5 feet. The highest crest on record is 22.5 feet, in August 1940.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 5 ft |
| Minor flooding | 8 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 12 ft |
| Major flooding | 16 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| August 1940 | 22.5 ft |
| September 2024 | 18.3 ft |
| July 1916 | 18 ft |
| November 1977 | 14.8 ft |
| January 1995 | 13.7 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge JFRN7. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Yadkin River below W Kerr Scott Dam near Buck, NC
- Elk Creek at Elkville, NC
- Reddies River at North Wilkesboro, NC
- Yadkin River at Wilkesboro, NC
- Yadkin River at Patterson, NC
- Watauga River near Sugar Grove, NC
- Lower Little River near All Healing Springs, NC
- Buckeye Creek below Buckeye Lake near Cannon Gap, NC
- Buckeye Creek above Buckeye Lake near Cannon Gap, NC
- Upper Little River at Sr1740 at Petra Mills, NC
- Middle Little River at Moretz Dam near Bethlehem, NC
- Yadkin River at Elkin, NC
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 03161000. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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