Shenandoah River at Millville, WV
USGS gauge 01636500 · drainage 3,041 sq mi · observed Oct 16, 7:30 PM EDT · 81 min old
Last 7 days Live gauge
Source: USGS Water Data API (continuous values), observed to Oct 16, 7:30 PM EDT. Shaded band: 25th to 75th percentile of USGS daily statistics for each date; dashed: median. Flow in cfs.
Daily mean flow Live gauge
| Date (gauge-local) | Mean flow | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | 2,074 cfs | |
| Oct 15, 2026 | 2,608 cfs | |
| Oct 14, 2026 | 3,830 cfs | |
| Oct 13, 2026 | 3,657 cfs | |
| Oct 12, 2026 | 2,019 cfs | |
| Oct 11, 2026 | 651 cfs | |
| Oct 10, 2026 | 510 cfs | |
| Oct 9, 2026 | 517 cfs | |
| Oct 8, 2026 | – | Partial day |
Source: USGS Water Data API (continuous values); each mean uses readings on that gauge-local date, shown only with at least 80% of expected readings.
The same 50 days in earlier years Historical record
━ 2026 ╌ 2025 ╌ 2024 ╌ 2023
| Year | Mean flow | Highest day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 840 cfs | 3,780 cfs |
| 2025 | 685 cfs | 1,080 cfs |
| 2024 | 4,027 cfs | 29,200 cfs |
| 2023 | 512 cfs | 1,610 cfs |
Source: USGS daily mean flows (Water Data API). Each line is the 50 days from Aug 27 to Oct 15, shifted to the same calendar dates in earlier years; gaps are days without a published value. Recent days are provisional.
Compared with this gauge’s record Historical record
| Measure | Value | When or rank |
|---|---|---|
| Peak daily flow, last 7 days | 3,780 cfs | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Last time daily flow was this high or higher | 4,980 cfs | May 30, 2026 (5 months earlier) |
| Last day above the 90th percentile for its date, before this peak | May 29, 2026 | 5 months earlier |
| Days above the 75th percentile for their date | 4 of 30 | last 30 days |
| October 1 to 15, mean flow | 1,219 cfs | rank 42 highest of 113 years |
Source: USGS daily mean flows (Water Data API), 1895 to 2026 (40,943 days), data through Oct 15, 2026, computed 2026-10-17; method record-v1. Percentiles are USGS daily statistics. Recent days are provisional.
Largest annual peaks Historical record
Ten largest peaks of record
| Date | Peak flow | Gage height at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 1942 | 230,000 cfs | 32.40 ft |
| Sep 8, 1996 | 156,000 cfs | 26.84 ft |
| Jan 1, 1870 | 151,000 cfs | 26.40 ft |
| Mar 18, 1936 | 151,000 cfs | 26.36 ft |
| Nov 6, 1985 | 142,000 cfs | 25.60 ft |
| May 13, 1924 | 119,000 cfs | 21.10 ft |
| Oct 1, 1896 | 105,000 cfs | 19.72 ft |
| Jun 23, 1972 | 103,000 cfs | 21.89 ft |
| Aug 19, 1955 | 99,000 cfs | 21.45 ft |
| Apr 27, 1937 | 87,400 cfs | 20.20 ft |
Five most recent annual peaks
| Date | Peak flow | Gage height at peak |
|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2025 | 38,400 cfs | 13.27 ft |
| Sep 29, 2024 | 27,300 cfs | 11.16 ft |
| Dec 24, 2022 | 11,600 cfs | 7.18 ft |
| May 8, 2022 | 15,600 cfs | 8.36 ft |
| Dec 26, 2020 | 28,500 cfs | 11.33 ft |
Source: USGS annual peak streamflow (Water Data API), 112 annual peaks, 1870 to 2025. A water year's peak is its highest instantaneous flow.
Water temperature by month Historical record
Source: USGS daily mean water temperature (parameter 00010, Water Data API), 1980 to 2020, mean of all published daily values in each calendar month (days counted under each month).
Flood stages Official NWS
| Category | Gage height (ft) |
|---|---|
| Action | 8.0 ft |
| Minor | 10.0 ft |
| Moderate | 14.0 ft |
| Major | 17.0 ft |
Source: National Weather Service forecast point MILW2 (Shenandoah River at Millville), fetched Oct 16, 8:43 PM EDT. Compare with the gage height above; thresholds belong to that forecast point.
Historic crests Official NWS
| Date | Crest stage | Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 1942 | 32.40 ft | 230,000 cfs |
| Sep 8, 1996 | 26.84 ft | 156,000 cfs |
| Dec 31, 1869 | 26.40 ft | 151,000 cfs |
| Mar 17, 1936 | 26.36 ft | 151,000 cfs |
| Nov 6, 1985 | 25.60 ft | 142,000 cfs |
| Jan 20, 1996 | 23.61 ft | 121,000 cfs |
| Jun 22, 1972 | 21.89 ft | 103,000 cfs |
| Aug 18, 1955 | 21.45 ft | 99,000 cfs |
| May 12, 1924 | 21.10 ft | 119,000 cfs |
| Apr 26, 1937 | 20.20 ft | 87,400 cfs |
Source: National Weather Service forecast point MILW2 (Shenandoah River at Millville), historic crests as published by the NWS; the NWS may have recorded them on an older gauge datum.
Flood impacts by stage Official NWS
| Stage | National Weather Service impact statement |
|---|---|
| 8.0 ft | Water begins to approach Bloomery Road /County Road 27/ near Bloomery, West Virginia, and a couple roads alongside the river in Clarke County, Virginia. Campers should move away from the river. |
| 9.0 ft | Water covers yards near the stream in Bloomery, West Virginia. Campers should move away from the river. |
| 10.0 ft | Parts of Bloomery Road and John Rissler Road are flooded near Bloomery, West Virginia. Once these roads flood, access to homes is impaired but the homes themselves are not in any danger of flooding. Moulton Park and the Millville boat launch are also flooded. |
| 11.0 ft | A small portion of Wilt Road (County Road 9/8) begins to flood. Water also begins to flow over Millville Dam. |
| 12.0 ft | Water reaches the river access at Wagon Trail Place near Harpers Ferry, and completely covers the parking lot of the lower boat ramp at Millville Dam. Portions of the Cool Spring Battlefield begin to flood. |
| 14.0 ft | Several roads along the river in Jefferson and Clarke Counties are flooded and closed. Most of Watermelon Park is flooded, along with a significant portion of the Cool Spring Battlefield property. |
| 15.0 ft | Significant flooding of fields and the Cool Spring Battlefield near the river is occurring. |
| 16.0 ft | Significant portions of Bloomery Road /County Road 27/ are flooded between Millville Dam and Millville, and near Bloomery. Several other roads in Jefferson and Clarke Counties are flooded and closed. Water approaches a garage on Bloomery Road. Flooding begins at docks and backyards on the river side of Avon Bend Road. |
| 17.0 ft | Water reaches the railroad tracks along the river in Millville. Many roads and fields are flooded. |
| 19.0 ft | Water approaches the lower portion of a power substation near Millville Dam. |
| 20.0 ft | The railroad tracks between Millville and Harpers Ferry are flooded. Water reaches homes in Bloomery, and covers most backyards along the river in the Avon Bend community. |
| 25.0 ft | Water covers the Route 115 bridge over the Shenandoah River. |
| 28.0 ft | Some homes along the river in the Avon Bend neighborhood are flooded. |
| 42.0 ft | A dike protects the Millville Quarry to approximately this level. |
Source: National Weather Service forecast point MILW2 (Shenandoah River at Millville). Statements are quoted from the NWS and describe that forecast point.
Sources and method
- Data: U.S. Geological Survey. Terms
- River forecasts and flood stages: National Weather Service. National Water Model guidance: NOAA.. Terms
USGS daily statistics, downloaded 2026-10-12
Percentile method: trailing 24 h mean vs USGS daily percentiles for calendar date 10-16.
Percentile is estimated from USGS published daily percentiles. Readings are provisional until USGS reviews them. Not endorsed by USGS, NOAA or the National Weather Service. Not for navigation or safety-of-life decisions; the absence of an alert is not a statement that conditions are safe.