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South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville — water level right now

Owsley County, Kentucky · NWS gauge BOOK2
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
27
minor flood stage
 
44.33
record crest
set 2021-03-01
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

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

action · 21.5
minor · 27
moderate · 32
major · 38
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage38extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage32some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage27low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage21.5water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
144.332021-03-01+17.33 above
243.41957-01-30+16.4 above
342.762025-02-17+15.76 above
441.71947-06-29+14.7 above
541.121984-05-08+14.12 above
640.741962-02-28+13.74 above
740.51939-02-01+13.5 above
840.361975-03-14+13.36 above
939.851963-03-13+12.85 above
1039.31929-03-23+12.3 above
1138.831946-01-08+11.83 above
1238.632003-02-17+11.63 above

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

Kentucky River at Heidelberg 7 mi away · loading… Middle Fork Kentucky River at Buckhorn Lake 15 mi away · loading… South Fork Kentucky River at Oneida 15 mi away · loading… North Fork Kentucky River at Jackson 17 mi away · loading… Kentucky River near Ravenna 20 mi away · loading… Red River at Clay City 30 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDBOOK2
USGS site03281500
CountyOwsley
StateKentucky
NWS forecast officeJackson
River forecast centerOhio River Forecast Center
Coordinates37.48, -83.673
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 South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville

Is South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville 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 27 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville?

major flood stage 38 ft, moderate flood stage 32 ft, minor flood stage 27 ft, action stage 21.5 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at South Fork Kentucky River at Booneville?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 44.33 ft, reached on 2021-03-01 — that is 17.33 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 Jackson and local emergency management.