Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC

Swain County, North Carolina · USGS gauge 03512000 · NWS BIRN7 · North Carolina river levels

Is Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC flooding right now?

Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC measured 1.13 ft on 2026-11-11 14:00:00 UTC. That observation was 8.9 ft below its 10 ft flood stage. This is the latest available reading, not a guarantee of current conditions.

Gauge height
1.13 ft
as of 49 min ago
Streamflow
143 cfs
data refreshed 3 min ago

Minor flooding here begins at 10 ft, with major flooding at 13 ft. The highest crest on record was 18 ft on Mon, Nov 19, 1906.

Streamflow outlook

NOAA National Water Model forecast, issued 15 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

CategoryStageCurrent distance
Action8 ft6.9 ft below
Minor flood10 ft8.9 ft below
Moderate flood12 ft10.9 ft below
Major flood13 ft11.9 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
18 ft1906-11-19
14.5 ft1913-03-27
12.46 ft1969-12-30
12.29 ft1973-03-16
12 ft1946-01-07

Last 7 days

Past 7 days · 1.10–1.89 ft

Nearby gauges

GaugeDistanceCounty
Tuckasegee River at Bryson City, NC5.7 miSwain County
Tuckasegee River at Barker'S Creek, NC6.3 miJackson County
Scott Creek above Sylva, NC9.5 miJackson County
Little Tennessee River at Needmore, NC13.0 miSwain County
Scott Creek at Willits-Ochre Hill, NC13.4 miJackson 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