Watauga River near Sugar Grove, NC
River level and flood forecast · Watauga County
Normal2.7 ftas of Mon 3:30 PM
The river is 3.3 ft below flood stage (6 ft).
Flow: 439 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 | 20 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 16 ft |
| Flood stage | 6 ft |
| Action stage | 5 ft |
| Record crest (August 13, 1940) | 29.6 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 16 ftSeveral buildings in the Valle Crucis area are affected by flood waters.
- 14 ftSignificant lowland flooding through the Valle Crucis area.
- 6 ftFlooding on portions of Watauga River road begins.
- 5 ftSeveral low water bridges begin to flood including Dewitt Barnett road 5.5 miles upstream and Hubert Thomas road 1.8 miles downstream from gage.
Highest crests on record
- 29.6 ft — August 13, 1940
- 29.57 ft — September 27, 2024
- 22.1 ft — July 15, 1916
- 21.9 ft — September 17, 2004
- 20.46 ft — January 14, 1995
Recent crests: 5.7 ft (March 5, 2025) · 8.02 ft (December 29, 2024) · 29.57 ft (September 27, 2024) · 7.5 ft (April 12, 2024) · 10.81 ft (January 9, 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 (SGWN7); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.