How high is the Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC right now?

The Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC is currently flowing at 367 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 1.67 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as normal for June 11. Today's discharge is at the 50th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 8.33 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 10.0 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC on June 11?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 367 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 241 to 724 cfs.

Where is the Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC stream gauge located?

The Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Swain County, NC on the Oconaluftee River. USGS site number 03512000 (coordinates 35.4614, -83.3536).

Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC

USGS Site No: 03512000 • Oconaluftee River • Swain County, NC

Oconaluftee River at Birdtown, NC on the Oconaluftee River is currently at 367 cfs (Normal — 50th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 1.67 ft.

Reading from 1 week ago

367

CFS Discharge

1.67

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	241
25th	Low threshold	284
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	367	Today: 367 cfs
75th	High threshold	490
95th	Very High threshold	724

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	505	1.91
May 27, 2026	673	2.16
May 26, 2026	864	2.39
May 25, 2026	376	1.68
May 24, 2026	291	1.51
May 23, 2026	282	1.47
May 22, 2026	255	1.42
May 21, 2026	200	1.28
May 20, 2026	177	1.21
May 19, 2026	182	1.22
May 18, 2026	188	1.24
May 17, 2026	194	1.26
May 16, 2026	197	1.27
May 15, 2026	203	1.29
Apr 21, 2026	244	1.40
Apr 20, 2026	251	1.42
Apr 19, 2026	268	1.46
Apr 18, 2026	260	1.44
Apr 17, 2026	301	1.53
Apr 16, 2026	263	1.44
Apr 15, 2026	269	1.46
Apr 14, 2026	276	1.48
Apr 13, 2026	281	1.49
Apr 12, 2026	288	1.51
Apr 11, 2026	296	1.52
Apr 10, 2026	304	1.54
Apr 9, 2026	314	1.56
Apr 8, 2026	325	1.59
Apr 7, 2026	344	1.63
Apr 6, 2026	400	1.74

Station Information

USGS Site No: 03512000
State: NC
County: Swain County
Coordinates: 35.4614, -83.3536
Drainage Area: 184 mi²
Datum (ft): 1,843.3
HUC Code: 06010203

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 8.0 ft
Flood Stage: 10.0 ft
Moderate Flood: 12.0 ft
Major Flood: 13.0 ft

Currently 8.33 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 1,590 cfs

Aug 3, 2025
Min discharge: 159 cfs

Oct 25, 2025
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

Nearby Gauges

Tuckasegee River at Bryson City, NC
5.8 mi · 1,140 cfs

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Tuckasegee River at Barker'South Creek, NC
6.4 mi · 665 cfs

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Little Tennessee River at Needmore, NC
13.0 mi · 893 cfs

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Tuckasegee River at Sr 1172 near Cullowhee, NC
16.8 mi · 155 cfs

Low
West Prong Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg, TN
19.1 mi · 74 cfs

Normal