Greenbrier River level at Alderson
West Virginia · Tubing & floating
Measured at USGS 03182970 — GREENBRIER RIVER AT RONCEVERTE, WV
Reading taken · as of 13 min ago
No seasonal normal for this gauge
USGS has not published enough daily statistics for this site to compare this reading against a seasonal normal, so this page shows the reading and its recent trend rather than a percent-of-normal figure.
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Flow history at Alderson
Daily values from USGS 03182970, updated every 15 to 60 minutes. Provisional.
About Greenbrier River at Alderson
The Greenbrier is often described as the longest undammed river in the eastern United States, and this gauge is the practical consequence of that: nothing upstream stores water, so what you see here is exactly what the weather has done. It is a summer tubing and canoe river with liveries working the Alderson and Ronceverte stretches, and it goes low and clear in a dry spell with no release to prop it up.
One thing to know about this page specifically: the USGS station is at Ronceverte, a short distance upstream of Alderson, and it reports gage height rather than discharge. So the number here is a stage reading, and the comparison above is against this site's own history of stage rather than flow.
Greenbrier River at Alderson — common questions
5 questions
Is there a dam upstream of the Greenbrier at Alderson?
No, and that is the river's defining feature — it runs free for its whole length, which is unusual in the East. Nothing stores water for release in a dry August and nothing holds anything back in a wet spring, so this gauge tracks rainfall directly and the seasonal swing is wide.
Why does this page show feet instead of CFS?
Because the USGS station at Ronceverte publishes gage height and not discharge. Stage answers the question tubers and canoeists are actually asking — how deep is it — and everything on this page, including the seasonal comparison, is computed against this site's own record of stage so the units never get mixed.
Does rain upstream change Greenbrier River at Alderson quickly?
Yes. It is free-flowing, so rain upstream moves it directly. Several feet in a few hours is normal after a heavy storm.
Is Greenbrier River at Alderson high or low for this time of year?
USGS has not published enough daily statistics for this site to compute a seasonal median, so this page shows the reading and its trend instead.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 03182970 every 15 to 60 minutes. This page refreshes from USGS when you open it, and the reading is provisional until USGS reviews it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.