Big Nance Creek (AL) at Courtland, AL
River level and flood forecast · Lawrence County
Normal1.5 ftas of Mon 2:30 PM
The river is 12.5 ft below flood stage (14 ft).
Forecast to fall to 1.1 ft by Sat, Oct 17, 7 AM.
Flow: 16 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 8:23 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 19 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 16 ft |
| Flood stage | 14 ft |
| Action stage | 12 ft |
| Record crest (March 16, 1973) | 24.97 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 29 ftWater overtops the wire weight gage on Old Highway 20. Water is over a foot deep atop the bridge.
- 28 ftWater overtops the bridge on Old Highway 20.
- 27.5 ftWater reaches the bottom of the gage house.
- 24.97 ftRecord Stage. Observed March 16, 1973.
- 20 ftWater is approaching homes south of downtown Courtland...with several streets impassible. Water reaches the underside of the bridge at Old Highway 20 in Courtland.
- 16 ftWater begins to cover roads south of downtown Courtland.
- 14 ftLowland flooding begins on the left bank of the river.
- 12 ftThe river overflows on County Road 150 about three quarters of a mile upstream of the gage site...south of Courtland.
Highest crests on record
- 24.97 ft — March 16, 1973
- 24.21 ft — December 23, 1990
- 22.77 ft — April 29, 2011
- 22.6 ft — January 7, 1950
- 22.45 ft — February 1, 1951
Recent crests: 16.07 ft (April 7, 2025) · 16.73 ft (March 17, 2025) · 17.91 ft (February 14, 2025) · 21.32 ft (September 16, 2024) · 15.33 ft (March 3, 2023)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- Sipsey Fork near Grayson, AL
- Shoal Creek near Iron City, TN
- Limestone Creek (AL) near Athens (Capshaw), AL
- Elk River near Prospect, TN
- Indian Creek (AL) at Madison, AL
- Richland Creek near Pulaski, TN
- Pinhook Creek (AL) at Clinton Avenue in Huntsville, AL
- Aldridge Creek (AL) at Sherwood Drive in Huntsville, AL
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (BNAA1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.