Little Kanawha River near Wildcat Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Little Kanawha River near Wildcat in WV, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location WV, United States
- Watershed little kanawha
- Primary gauge 03151400 (USGS)
About Little Kanawha River near Wildcat
What the record shows
Little Kanawha River near Wildcat is a river in West Virginia.
The long record here runs for more than 50 years. The highest level in the file is 11.08 ft (3.38 m) in May 2022, and the lowest is 3.42 ft (1.04 m) in August 2024. Those two points set a wide range for anyone using the river: docks, pumps, and low crossings have to tolerate both a high-water month and a late-summer low.
The seasonal pattern is clear. February is the highest typical month at 5.35 ft (1.63 m), while September is the lowest typical month at 3.98 ft (1.21 m). That typical annual swing is 16.5 in (41.8 cm). For anglers and cottagers, that means the river usually runs higher in late winter and lower by early fall, with conditions that can change enough to matter at an access point or intake.
The watershed
This station watches the river upstream of the gauge, not the full Little Kanawha watershed. In steep Appalachian country, winter and spring rain, along with melting snow, often set the annual high water, and narrow tributaries can rise quickly after heavy rain. Summer is usually the lower-flow season between storms.
For people on this reach, that seasonal rhythm is the main planning guide. February is the month to expect more water over bars and along the bank. September is the month when shallow access, pump placement, and boating clearance can become more sensitive to small changes. The record low in August 2024 shows that late-summer levels can fall below the usual September mark.
Reading the hero number
The number shown at the top of the page is best read against the median for this calendar day across the station record, not as a raw elevation by itself. That comparison tells you whether the river is running typical for today, above its usual level, or below it for this date.
This station is operated by the U.S. Geological Survey, and the record here spans more than 50 years. Using the calendar-day median helps separate a normal seasonal level from an unusual one, which is what matters when you are deciding on access, intake depth, or whether today’s stage deserves extra attention.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
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The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
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How every number is computed - About the platform
