Elk River at Queen Shoals, WV

Kanawha County, West Virginia · USGS gauge 03197000 · NWS QUSW2 · Elk River flood status · West Virginia river levels

Is Elk River at Queen Shoals, WV flooding right now?

Elk River at Queen Shoals, WV measured 10.26 ft on 2026-09-22 23:00:00 UTC. That observation was 8.7 ft below its 19 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
10.26 ft
as of 84 min ago
Streamflow
8,180 cfs
data refreshed 8 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 19 ft, with major flooding at 29 ft. The highest crest on record was 37.2 ft on Wed, Mar 13, 1918.

Flood forecast

NWS forecast, issued 9 hours ago. Forecasts are issued for select river points and update through the day.

Flood stages at this gauge

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action17 ft6.7 ft below
Minor flood19 ft8.7 ft below
Moderate flood23 ft12.7 ft below
Major flood29 ft18.7 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

StageDate
37.2 ft1918-03-13
33.31 ft2016-06-24
32 ft1888-01-01
29.2 ft1932-07-05
26.5 ft1939-02-03

Last 7 days

flood stage 19 ft

Past 7 days · 4.48–19.00 ft

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Big Sandy Creek below Lt Hand Creek near Clendenin, WV4.9 miKanawha County
Elk River at Clay, WV10.6 miClay County
Little Sandy Creek near Elkview, WV11.8 miKanawha County
Cookman Fork at Interstate 79 near Wallback, WV13.4 miClay County
Twentymile Creek at Vaughan, WV15.4 miNicholas 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