How high is the Kanawha River at Charleston, WV right now?

The Kanawha River at Charleston, WV is currently flowing at 19,900 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 19.01 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Kanawha River at Charleston, WV normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as high for October 28. Today's discharge is at the 88th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

What is the historical median flow for the Kanawha River at Charleston, WV on October 28?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 4,530 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 2,490 to 25,200 cfs.

Where is the Kanawha River at Charleston, WV stream gauge located?

The Kanawha River at Charleston, WV stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Kanawha County, WV on the Kanawha River. USGS site number 03198000 (coordinates 38.3715, -81.7021).

Kanawha River at Charleston, WV

USGS Site No: 03198000 • Kanawha River • Kanawha County, WV

Kanawha River at Charleston, WV on the Kanawha River is currently at 19,900 cfs (High — 88th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 19.01 ft. This station is at or above flood stage.

Reading from 4 months ago

↑ Upstream on Kanawha River

Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls, WV

19,900

CFS Discharge

19.01

Gage Height (ft)

High

Flow Condition

FLOOD

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for October 28 at this station. Percentile rank shows what fraction of historical years had lower flow on this date.

Percentile	Label	CFS Threshold	Today's Flow
10th	Very Low threshold	2,490
25th	Low threshold	3,270
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	4,530
75th	High threshold	10,100
95th	Very High threshold	25,200	Today: 19,900 cfs

30-Day Hydrograph

Recent discharge plotted against the historical 10th–95th percentile envelope for the same calendar days. Source: USGS daily values + long-term statistics.

10th–95th historical Day-of-year median Recent discharge

30-Day Flow History

Date	Discharge (CFS)	Gage Ht (ft)
May 28, 2026	32,800	—
May 27, 2026	33,200	—
May 26, 2026	28,800	—
May 25, 2026	20,100	—
May 24, 2026	12,500	—
May 23, 2026	5,060	—
May 22, 2026	3,490	—
May 21, 2026	3,350	—
May 20, 2026	3,250	—
May 19, 2026	4,290	—
May 18, 2026	4,440	—
May 17, 2026	5,000	—
May 16, 2026	4,640	—
May 15, 2026	4,250	—
Apr 21, 2026	5,310	—
Apr 20, 2026	5,750	—
Apr 19, 2026	6,090	—
Apr 18, 2026	6,080	—
Apr 17, 2026	6,230	—
Apr 16, 2026	6,570	—
Apr 15, 2026	7,070	—
Apr 14, 2026	7,880	—
Apr 13, 2026	8,470	—
Apr 12, 2026	9,370	—
Apr 11, 2026	9,760	—
Apr 10, 2026	10,900	—
Apr 9, 2026	12,700	—
Apr 8, 2026	15,200	—
Apr 7, 2026	16,300	—
Apr 6, 2026	18,000	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 03198000
State: WV
County: Kanawha County
Coordinates: 38.3715, -81.7021
Drainage Area: 10,463 mi²
Datum (ft): 547.3
HUC Code: 05050008

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 35.0 ft

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 71,700 cfs

Feb 21, 2026
Min discharge: 1,490 cfs

Sep 18, 2025

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

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