How high is the Nantahala River Near Rainbow Springs, NC right now?

The Nantahala River Near Rainbow Springs, NC is currently flowing at 215 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 1.51 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Nantahala River Near Rainbow Springs, NC normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 70th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Nantahala River Near Rainbow Springs, NC at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 8.49 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 10.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Nantahala River Near Rainbow Springs, NC on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 146 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 96 to 319 cfs.

Where is the Nantahala River Near Rainbow Springs, NC stream gauge located?

The Nantahala River Near Rainbow Springs, NC stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Macon County, NC on the Nantahala River. USGS site number 03504000 (coordinates 35.1275, -83.6186).

Nantahala River Near Rainbow Springs, NC

USGS Site No: 03504000 • Nantahala River • Macon County, NC

Nantahala River Near Rainbow Springs, NC on the Nantahala River is currently at 215 cfs (Normal — 70th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 1.51 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

Downstream on Nantahala River ↓

Nantahala River Near Hewitt, NC

215

CFS Discharge

1.51

Gage Height (ft)

Normal

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for June 11 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	96
25th	Low threshold	114
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	146
75th	High threshold	233	Today: 215 cfs
95th	Very High threshold	319

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	267	1.69
May 27, 2026	330	1.89
May 26, 2026	450	2.21
May 25, 2026	387	1.97
May 24, 2026	202	1.46
May 23, 2026	241	1.58
May 22, 2026	173	1.35
May 21, 2026	174	1.35
May 20, 2026	100	1.02
May 19, 2026	97	1.01
May 18, 2026	100	1.03
May 17, 2026	104	1.04
May 16, 2026	106	1.06
May 15, 2026	109	1.07
Apr 21, 2026	115	1.09
Apr 20, 2026	117	1.10
Apr 19, 2026	122	1.13
Apr 18, 2026	122	1.12
Apr 17, 2026	126	1.14
Apr 16, 2026	127	1.15
Apr 15, 2026	130	1.16
Apr 14, 2026	133	1.17
Apr 13, 2026	136	1.19
Apr 12, 2026	138	1.20
Apr 11, 2026	141	1.21
Apr 10, 2026	145	1.23
Apr 9, 2026	148	1.24
Apr 8, 2026	153	1.26
Apr 7, 2026	161	1.29
Apr 6, 2026	176	1.35

Station Information

USGS Site No: 03504000
State: NC
County: Macon County
Coordinates: 35.1275, -83.6186
Drainage Area: 52 mi²
Datum (ft): 3,073.1
HUC Code: 06010202

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 4.0 ft
Flood Stage: 10.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 14.0 ft
Major Flood: 16.0 ft

Currently 8.49 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 872 cfs

Jan 10, 2026
Min discharge: 79 cfs

Oct 26, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Cartoogechaye Creek at Sr 1148 Near Franklin, NC
11.2 mi · 86 cfs

Normal
Nantahala River Near Hewitt, NC
12.4 mi · 665 cfs

High
Little Tennessee River Near Prentiss, NC
13.6 mi · 340 cfs

Normal
Little Tennessee River at Needmore, NC
15.3 mi · 893 cfs

Normal
Tallulah River Near Clayton, GA
17.2 mi · 178 cfs

Normal