South Fork New River near Jefferson, NC
River level and flood forecast · Ashe County
Normal3.8 ftas of Mon 4:30 PM
The river is 4.2 ft below flood stage (8 ft).
Flow: 1,310 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Sun, Dec 31, 7 PM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 16 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 12 ft |
| Flood stage | 8 ft |
| Action stage | 5 ft |
| Record crest (August 14, 1940) | 22.5 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 10 ftSeveral campgrounds and roads leading in to them are likely affected by flooding.
- 9 ftGarvey Bridge Road is flooded downstream.
- 8 ftFulton Reeves Road closed due to flooding.
- 7 ftRustic Road bridge is flooded.
- 6 ftSeveral low water bridges are flooded including Hartzog Ford Road.
Highest crests on record
- 22.5 ft — August 14, 1940
- 18.27 ft — September 27, 2024
- 18 ft — July 15, 1916
- 14.83 ft — November 7, 1977
- 13.73 ft — January 15, 1995
Recent crests: 7.77 ft (May 13, 2025) · 5.82 ft (December 30, 2024) · 18.27 ft (September 27, 2024) · 5.23 ft (April 12, 2024) · 7.27 ft (January 10, 2024)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (JFRN7); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.