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Catawba River at Lake Hickory/Oxford Dam — water level right now

Catawba County, North Carolina · NWS gauge OXFN7
Loading the latest reading…
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current stage (ft)
 
101
minor flood stage
 
104.7
record crest
set 1940-08-30
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flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 100.5
minor · 101
moderate · 105
major · 110
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage110extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage105some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage101low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage100.5water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
1104.71940-08-30+3.7 above
2101.72013-05-06+0.7 above
3100.112004-09-090.89 below
4100.112004-09-090.89 below
5100.12024-09-280.9 below
6100.12003-04-100.9 below
71001989-07-051 below
81001995-01-151 below

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Catawba River at Lookout Shoals Lake and Dam 7 mi away · loading… Lyle Creek at Section House Rd 2 NW Conover 7 mi away · loading… Lower Little River near Ellendale 9 mi away · loading… Catawba River at Lake Rhodhiss Dam 14 mi away · loading… South Fork Catawba River near HENRY FORK 15 mi away · loading… Lower Creek at Lenoir 20 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDOXFN7
CountyCatawba
StateNorth Carolina
NWS forecast officeGreer
River forecast centerSoutheast River Forecast Center
Coordinates35.821, -81.192
Time zoneEST5EDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Catawba River at Lake Hickory/Oxford Dam

Is Catawba River at Lake Hickory/Oxford Dam flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 101 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Catawba River at Lake Hickory/Oxford Dam?

major flood stage 110 ft, moderate flood stage 105 ft, minor flood stage 101 ft, action stage 100.5 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Catawba River at Lake Hickory/Oxford Dam?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 104.7 ft, reached on 1940-08-30 — that is 3.7 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Greer and local emergency management.