TidalMapValley River at Tomotla, 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 03550000 sits on the Valley River and reads everything draining 104 square miles of the Hiwassee basin. Its datum sits 1,556 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1904, 116 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 Hiwassee Lake on Hiwassee River at Hiwassee Dam, NC at 968 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 11% of the water measured there.
Normal flows here
The Valley River runs a median of 163 cfs at this gauge across 116 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 341 cfs, and September the leanest at 72 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 8,190 cfs in 1995, and the lowest is 12 cfs in 1925.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 294 cfs | 180% |
| Feb | 322 cfs | 198% |
| Mar | 341 cfs | 209% |
| Apr | 292 cfs | 179% |
| May | 212 cfs | 130% |
| Jun | 150 cfs | 92% |
| Jul | 122 cfs | 75% |
| Aug | 101 cfs | 62% |
| Sep | 72 cfs | 44% |
| Oct | 73 cfs | 45% |
| Nov | 100 cfs | 61% |
| Dec | 197 cfs | 121% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1904 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
The Valley River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 12 feet. NWS starts watching it at 6 feet. The highest crest on record is 21.2 feet, in September 1998.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 6 ft |
| Minor flooding | 12 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 13 ft |
| Major flooding | 14 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| September 1998 | 21.2 ft |
| November 1906 | 20.5 ft |
| March 1994 | 17.1 ft |
| February 1990 | 15.9 ft |
| March 1980 | 15.4 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge TMVN7. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
TVA dams near this gauge
TVA's Hiwassee Dam is 11 miles from this gauge on the Hiwassee system. Planned generation, lake level and tailwater elevation for it load below when TVA has published them.
- Hiwassee Dam 11 miles
- Chatuge Dam 14 miles
- Nottely Dam 14 miles
- Apalachia Dam 18 miles
Nearby river gauges
- Cheoah River near Bearpen Gap near Tapoco, NC
- Nantahala River near Rainbow Springs, NC
- Nantahala River near Hewitt, NC
- Tellico River at Tellico Plains, TN
- Ocoee River at Copperhill, TN
- Little Tennessee River at Needmore, NC
- Hiwassee River above Reliance
- Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near Franklin, NC
- Little River above Townsend, TN
- Little Tennessee River near Prentiss, NC
- Tuckasegee River at Bryson City, NC
- Little River near Maryville, TN
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 03550000. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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