TornadoLiveMap

Catawba River at Lake Norman/Cowans Ford Dam — water level right now

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina · NWS gauge CWAN7
Loading the latest reading…
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current stage (ft)
 
102
minor flood stage
 
100.93
record crest
set 2004-09-09
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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
minor · 102
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 stage102low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage100water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
1100.932004-09-091.07 below
2100.51994-08-191.5 below
3100.51988-10-021.5 below
4100.51990-10-231.5 below
5100.362003-04-111.64 below
6100.21993-03-251.8 below
7100.072024-09-281.93 below
899.32013-05-072.7 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

Killian Creek near MARIPOSA 4 mi away · loading… McDowell Creek at Beatties Ford Rd. 4 mi away · loading… McDowell Creek near HUNTERSVILLE 4 mi away · loading… Torrence Creek near Huntersville 5 mi away · loading… Gar Creek at SR 2074 NR CROFT #6531 6 mi away · loading… Catawba River at Mountain Island Lake and Dam 7 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDCWAN7
CountyMecklenburg
StateNorth Carolina
NWS forecast officeGreer
River forecast centerSoutheast River Forecast Center
Coordinates35.435, -80.958
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 Norman/Cowans Ford Dam

Is Catawba River at Lake Norman/Cowans Ford 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 102 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 Norman/Cowans Ford Dam?

major flood stage 110 ft, moderate flood stage 105 ft, minor flood stage 102 ft, action stage 100 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 Norman/Cowans Ford Dam?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 100.93 ft, reached on 2004-09-09 — that is -1.07 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.