McDowell CR Tributary at SR2131 near Hicks Crossroads Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for McDowell CR Tributary at SR2131 near Hicks Crossroads in NC, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location NC, United States
- Watershed upper catawba
- Primary gauge 0214265828 (USGS)
About McDowell CR Tributary at SR2131 near Hicks Crossroads
McDowell CR Tributary at SR2131 near Hicks Crossroads is in the Upper Catawba watershed in NC.
What the record shows
The station record runs back more than 11 years. The highest level in that span was 3.19 ft (0.97 m) in December 2015. The lowest was 1.15 ft (0.35 m) in July 2026.
The seasonal pattern is modest. February is the highest month on the record, with a typical level of 1.85 ft (0.56 m). September is the lowest month, with a typical level of 1.49 ft (0.45 m). The typical annual swing is 4.3 in (11 cm).
For a river this size, that tells you the channel usually stays within a fairly tight band, but it still moves enough to matter for crossings, small intakes, and low banks. The record low in July 2026 sits below the September typical level, which is a clear sign that the lowest readings can fall outside the usual seasonal pattern.
The watershed
The gauge drains 0.9 sq mi (2.3 km2) above the station. That is the area feeding this reading, not the whole Upper Catawba.
In this part of the region, winter and spring rains are the season to watch for higher water, while warm-season lows often show up between storms. A hurricane-season system can push a fast rise here when the basin is already wet. For anyone living, farming, or fishing nearby, the main practical point is timing: small basins can change quickly, and short-duration rises may leave little room to react.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page is best read as today’s stage against the median for this calendar day across the station record. That is more useful than raw elevation because it shows whether the tributary is running high or low for this date, not just how many feet are on the staff.
This station is operated by the USGS. With more than 11 years on record, the daily median gives a solid baseline for judging whether today is near normal, above normal, or below normal for this reach.
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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How every number is computed - About the platform
