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Pacolet River above Cowpens

Highest listed crest 17.10 ftFlood stage 14.0 ft11 crests since 1995

The Pacolet River above Cowpens crested above flood stage 3 times among the 11 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1995 to 2020. The highest, 17.10 ft on August 28, 1995, was moderate flooding, 3.10 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
17.10 ft
August 28, 1995; 22,900 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
14.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
0
3 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 7, 2020
16.63 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Spartanburg County
Near Spartanburg (8.1 mi), Gaffney (11.1 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Pacolet River above Cowpens
Action stage12.03Oct 8, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)14.00—Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.03Feb 7, 2020Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

11 crests from 1995 to 2020. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Pacolet River above Cowpens, 1995 to 2020 81012141618ft Flood stage 14.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft Aug 28, 1995: 17.10 ft, moderate flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1998: 8.34 ft, below flood stage; 5,160 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2003: 10.20 ft, below flood stageMay 23, 2003: 17.10 ft, moderate flooding; 22,900 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2004: 13.52 ft, action stage; 14,300 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 2005: 13.53 ft, action stage; 14,365 cubic feet per secondOct 8, 2005: 12.31 ft, action stage; 11,820 cubic feet per secondMar 2, 2007: 8.64 ft, below flood stage; 5,700 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2009: 9.77 ft, below flood stage; 7,280 cubic feet per secondNov 11, 2009: 10.42 ft, below flood stage; 8,260 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 16.63 ft, moderate flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per second Highest, 17.10 ft, Aug 28, 1995 199520002005201020152020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Pacolet River above Cowpens 1990s: 1 1 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Pacolet River above Cowpens
1Aug 28, 199517.10+3.10Moderate22,900
2May 23, 200317.10+3.10Moderate22,900
3Feb 7, 202016.63+2.63Moderate20,200
4Jul 8, 200513.53−0.47Action14,365
5Sep 8, 200413.52−0.48Action14,300
6Oct 8, 200512.31−1.69Action11,820
7Nov 11, 200910.42−3.58Below flood stage8,260
8Mar 21, 200310.20−3.80Below flood stage—
9Apr 2, 20099.77−4.23Below flood stage7,280
10Mar 2, 20078.64−5.36Below flood stage5,700
11Mar 9, 19988.34−5.66Below flood stage5,160

Gauges on the Pacolet River

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

Flood gauges on the Pacolet River
FingervilleSC25.046.00 ft, Jun 1, 19031
Cowpens this gaugeSC14.017.10 ft, Aug 28, 19950

Other gauges in Spartanburg County

Flood gauges in Spartanburg County
Spartanburg15.015.14 ft, Feb 7, 20200
Fingerville18.027.13 ft, Aug 14, 19403
Fingerville25.046.00 ft, Jun 1, 19031
Campobello10.013.03 ft, Feb 6, 20200

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge COWS1, 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.