Elk River at Clay, WV

Clay County, West Virginia · USGS gauge 03196800 · NWS CLYW2 · Elk River flood status · West Virginia river levels

Is Elk River at Clay, WV flooding right now?

Elk River at Clay, WV measured 9.25 ft on 2026-09-22 23:00:00 UTC. That observation was 8.8 ft below its 18 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height

9.25 ft

as of 70 min ago

Streamflow

9,050 cfs

data refreshed 6 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 18 ft, with major flooding at 29 ft. The highest crest on record was 32.4 ft on Thu, Mar 14, 1918.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 12 hours ago. The NWM models discharge for every river reach in the country, including the many gauges the National Weather Service does not forecast individually. It is a model, not an official NWS river forecast, and it predicts flow rather than water level.

Flood stages at this gauge

Category	Stage	Current distance
Action	16 ft	6.8 ft below
Minor flood	18 ft	8.8 ft below
Moderate flood	20 ft	10.8 ft below
Major flood	29 ft	19.8 ft below

New to these numbers? What does flood stage mean? · How to read a river gauge · Why is the river rising?

Highest crests on record

Stage	Date
32.4 ft	1918-03-14
31 ft	1861-01-01
30.3 ft	2016-06-24
26.6 ft	1932-02-05
26.5 ft	1932-07-04

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Distance	County
Cookman Fork at Interstate 79 near Wallback, WV	8.9 mi	Clay County
Elk River at Queen Shoals, WV	10.7 mi	Kanawha County
Twentymile Creek at Vaughan, WV	13.0 mi	Nicholas County
Peters Creek near Lockwood, WV	14.0 mi	Nicholas County
Elk River near Frametown, WV	14.2 mi	Braxton County

Provisional data: Real-time readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS — sensors can be affected by ice, debris, or equipment malfunction. Do not rely on this site for decisions involving personal safety; follow official guidance from the National Weather Service and local authorities.

Sources: USGS monitoring location · NWS gauge & forecast