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Catawba River at Great Falls Reservoir/Great Falls-Dearborn Dams

Highest listed crest 105.90 ftFlood stage 102.0 ft19 crests since 1929

The Catawba River at Great Falls Reservoir/Great Falls-Dearborn Dams crested above flood stage 2 times among the 19 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2024. The highest, 105.90 ft on September 29, 2024, was minor flooding, 3.90 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Catawba River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 2 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
105.90 ft
September 29, 2024; 110,400 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
102.0 ft
No major stage set
Crests at major
0
2 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
September 29, 2024
105.90 ft, minor flooding
Location
Chester County
South Carolina
Identifiers
NWS GTFS1
No USGS station

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Catawba River at Great Falls Reservoir/Great Falls-Dearborn Dams
Action stage101.05Nov 27, 2006The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)102.02Sep 29, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

19 crests from 1929 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Catawba River at Great Falls Reservoir/Great Falls-Dearborn Dams, 1929 to 2024 98100102104106ft Flood stage 102.0 ft Mar 19, 1929: 103.30 ft, minor floodingMar 1, 1987: 101.20 ft, action stageOct 1, 1988: 100.80 ft, below flood stageDec 1, 1988: 100.60 ft, below flood stageMar 30, 1993: 101.20 ft, action stageJul 5, 1994: 101.00 ft, action stageJul 3, 1995: 101.20 ft, action stageFeb 1, 1996: 100.60 ft, below flood stageFeb 2, 1999: 100.70 ft, below flood stageFeb 3, 2000: 100.40 ft, below flood stageMar 11, 2003: 100.78 ft, below flood stageSep 24, 2004: 100.76 ft, below flood stageNov 8, 2005: 100.09 ft, below flood stageNov 27, 2006: 101.00 ft, action stageMar 3, 2007: 100.42 ft, below flood stageDec 9, 2009: 100.50 ft, below flood stageJan 18, 2010: 100.25 ft, below flood stageMay 10, 2013: 99.49 ft, below flood stageSep 29, 2024: 105.90 ft, minor flooding; 110,400 cubic feet per second Highest, 105.90 ft, Sep 29, 2024 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Catawba River at Great Falls Reservoir/Great Falls-Dearborn Dams 1920s: 1 1 1930s: 0 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Catawba River at Great Falls Reservoir/Great Falls-Dearborn Dams
1Sep 29, 2024105.90+3.90Minor110,400
2Mar 19, 1929103.30+1.30Minor—
3Mar 1, 1987101.20−0.80Action—
4Mar 30, 1993101.20−0.80Action—
5Jul 3, 1995101.20−0.80Action—
6Jul 5, 1994101.00−1.00Action—
7Nov 27, 2006101.00−1.00Action—
8Oct 1, 1988100.80−1.20Below flood stage—
9Mar 11, 2003100.78−1.22Below flood stage—
10Sep 24, 2004100.76−1.24Below flood stage—
11Feb 2, 1999100.70−1.30Below flood stage—
12Dec 1, 1988100.60−1.40Below flood stage—
13Feb 1, 1996100.60−1.40Below flood stage—
14Dec 9, 2009100.50−1.50Below flood stage—
15Mar 3, 2007100.42−1.58Below flood stage—
16Feb 3, 2000100.40−1.60Below flood stage—
17Jan 18, 2010100.25−1.75Below flood stage—
18Nov 8, 2005100.09−1.91Below flood stage—
19May 10, 201399.49−2.51Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Catawba River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Catawba River that crested above flood stage within a week.

September 29, 2024: 105.90 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Catawba River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Catawba River
CatawbaSC23.024.66 ft, Feb 8, 20200
Rock HillSC15.024.15 ft, May 23, 19010
Cedar Creek Reservoir/Rocky Ck-Cedar Ck DamSC102.0106.62 ft, Sep 29, 20242
Great Falls Reservoir/Great Falls-Dearborn Dams this gaugeSC102.0105.90 ft, Sep 29, 20240
Lake Hickory/Oxford DamNC101.0104.70 ft, Aug 30, 19400
Lake James/Linville DamNC102.0110.70 ft, Sep 26, 20241
Lake Rhodhiss DamNC104.0110.10 ft, Aug 30, 19401
Lookout Shoals Lake and DamNC103.0114.40 ft, Aug 30, 19407
Mountain Island Lake and DamNC103.0109.60 ft, Aug 30, 19403
Pleasant GardensNC11.017.55 ft, Sep 8, 20040

Chester County: every hazard · River floods across the country · South Carolina

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GTFS1, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.