USGS Water-Year Summary 2024
02080500 ROANOKE RIVER AT ROANOKE RAPIDS, NC
LOCATION - Lat 36°27'36", long 77°38'01" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, Halifax County, NC, Hydrologic Unit 03010107, on right bank 1.2 mi downstream of bridge on North Carolina Highway 48 at Roanoke Rapids, 2.5 mi upstream from Chockoyotte Creek, 2.8 mi downstream of Roanoke Rapids dam, and 133.6 mi upstream from mouth in Albemarle Sound.
DRAINAGE AREA - 8,384 mi².
REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 712: 1930. WSP 822: 1936. WSP 1032: 1912, 1928(M), 1930(M), 1932-33(M). WSP 1433: 1912-23, 1925-28, 1930, 1932-33, 1935, 1937-39. WSP 1904: 1958, 1960. WDR NC-83-1: Drainage area.
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - December 1911 to current year. Prior to January 1933, published as "Roanoke River at Old Gaston". Records published for both sites February 1930 to December 1932. Gage-height records collected at site of auxiliary gage since November 1890 are contained in reports of National Weather Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is 43.84 ft above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. December 7, 1911, to November 21, 1921, and April 7 to December 31, 1932, nonrecording gage and November 21, 1921, to April 7, 1932, water-stage recorder, both at site 9 mi upstream at different datum. August 6, 1941, to March 1, 1973, auxiliary water-stage recorder, 3.6 mi downstream of base gage. Satellite telemetry at station.
Flow regulated since August 1950 by Philpott Lake on Smith River, usable capacity, 6,325,000,000 ft³; since September 1950 by John H. Kerr Reservoir, usable capacity, 101,247,000,000 ft³; since June 1955 by Roanoke Rapids Lake; since September 1962 by Leesville Lake; since October 1962 by Lake Gaston; and since September 1963 by Smith Mountain Lake.
EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Flood in November 1877, discharge, 212,000 ft³/s, reached a stage about 2 ft lower at Old Gaston than flood in August 1940 which was 21.5 ft. Flood in August 1940 is the maximum known since at least 1771.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - (Post Regulation) Maximum discharge 60,700 ft3/s, May 7, 1958; Maximum gage height 16.52 ft, May 7, 1958.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD PRIOR TO REGULATION - Prior to regulation, maximum discharge: 261,000 ft³/s, August 18, 1940; gage height: 39.0 ft, from floodmarks.