Cattaraugus Creek at Gowanda, NY
River level and flood forecast · Erie County
Normal1.2 ftas of Mon 3:15 PM
The river is 8.8 ft below flood stage (10 ft).
Forecast to hold near 1.2 ft through Thu, Oct 15, 8 AM.
Flow: 125 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 11:14 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 14 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 12 ft |
| Flood stage | 10 ft |
| Action stage | 8 ft |
| Record crest (March 7, 1956) | 14.14 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 14 ftMajor flood, extreme residential and commercial flooding downstream from Gowanda. Also some flooding 1 to 2 miles upstream. Serious flooding possible near Thatcher Brook in Gowanda and Sunset Bay near Lake Erie.
- 12 ftModerate flood, residential flooding begins downstream of Gowanda, especially on the right bank. Flooding also possible at Sunset Bay on Lake Erie and along Thatcher Brook in Gowanda.
- 10 ftFlood stage, flooding along right bank a half mile to a mile downstream from Gowanda, mostly in industrial and commercial areas. Watch for developing problems along Thatcher Creek in Gowanda and at Sunset Bay at the mouth near Lake Erie.
- 8 ftAction stage, water begins to spill over right bank near the sewage disposal plant, about 1 mile downstream from Gowanda.
Highest crests on record
- 14.14 ft — March 7, 1956
- 13.99 ft — September 14, 1979
- 13.62 ft — March 17, 1942
- 13.47 ft — August 10, 2009
- 13.02 ft — January 19, 1996
Recent crests: 10.3 ft (November 12, 2022) · 11.7 ft (July 17, 2021) · 11.23 ft (January 12, 2018) · 10.7 ft (January 12, 2017) · 11.54 ft (December 21, 2013)
Up and down the river, and nearby
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (GOWN6); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.