Black Warrior River at Oliver Lock and Dam, AL
River level and flood forecast · Tuscaloosa County
Normal95.7 ftas of Mon 2:30 PM
The river is 33.3 ft below flood stage (129 ft).
Forecast to rise to 96.9 ft Tue 1 PM, below the 129 ft flood stage.
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 9:05 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 146 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 138 ft |
| Flood stage | 129 ft |
| Action stage | 122 ft |
| Record crest (February 22, 1961) | 149 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 153 ftWater reaches the top of the levee at Northport. At higher stages flooding of Northport can be expected.
- 149 ftExtensive business and industrial flooding occurs along the Jack Warner Parkway in Tuscaloosa.
- 147 ftFlooding along Jack Warner Parkway worsens. The park at Manderson Landing floods at stages of 148 feet.
- 146 ftConsiderable flooding of industrial and commercial interests along Jack Warner Parkway occurs.
- 144 ftFlooding of Rice Mine Road in Northport and northeast Tuscaloosa begins.
- 140 ftFlooding of portions of Jack Warner Parkway can be expected. Some industrial property may also begin to flood along Jack Warner Parkway. Residential flooding will commence in areas southwest of Tuscaloosa at stages above 140 feet.
- 135 ftNumerous camphouses and some permanent residences southwest of Tuscaloosa become cutoff.
- 132 ftFlooding of rural roads southwest of Tuscaloosa occurs.
- 129 ftFlooding of agricultural lands in areas southwest of Tuscaloosa occurs. Elevated property just off Flag Road and along View Lane near the Knoxville area will flood. Areas along River Beach Road near Moundville will flood. Areas along River Bend Road will flood.
- 125 ftFlooding of some roads leading into homes in the Hemphill Bend area southwest of Tuscaloosa occurs.
- 122 ftCattle in low lands begin to be cut off and may need to be moved to higher ground.
Highest crests on record
- 149 ft — February 22, 1961
- 148.3 ft — March 29, 1951
- 148 ft — April 13, 1979
- 146.7 ft — January 6, 1949
- 145.8 ft — February 11, 1946
Recent crests: 131.54 ft (February 22, 2019) · 138.78 ft (December 28, 2018) · 126.41 ft (June 24, 2017) · 98.64 ft (December 3, 2016) · 135.25 ft (December 27, 2015)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- UpstreamBlack Warrior River at Holt Lock and Dam, AL
- DownstreamBlack Warrior River below Selden Dam, AL
- Sipsey River near Elrod, AL
- North River near Samantha, AL
- Black Warrior River at Bankhead Lock and Dam, AL
- Cahaba River at Centreville, AL
- Cahaba River near West Blocton, AL
- Shades Creek near Greenwood, AL
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (TODA1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.