Lake Hickory
Lake level relative to full pond
98 ft (full pond = 100)· Duke Energy Lake View
State water view
North Carolina
Local water conditions, public water systems and state planning records. Check the sources and reporting dates for each topic.
Explore national comparisons →6 state data topics · 4 management regions
U.S. Drought Monitor ·
Drought conditions in North Carolina
This is the latest drought map in this publication, effective 2026-10-13; it is not a live report.
76 of 100 counties have moderate drought (D1) or worse covering at least 1% of county area. The previous map, 2026-10-06, had 79 such counties.
County counts by highest category covering at least 1%: None: 5 · D0: 19 · D1: 38 · D2: 26 · D3: 12 · D4: 0. These are county counts, not percentages of state land or population. D0 means abnormally dry, not drought.
- Mecklenburg County — D1 or worse: 22.58% of county area
- Catawba County — D1 or worse: 36.18% of county area
- Wake County — D1 or worse: 100% of county area
Open the drought map and historical playback · U.S. Drought Monitor source
Public drinking-water systems
Open a system for its available testing and source records. A system’s service area can cross city and county boundaries.
Water levels and storage
North Carolina reservoir measurements
Explore 4 official reservoir reporting records. Choose a location for dated readings and history. Dates, methods and agency coverage vary. Some agencies monitor the same reservoir; these records are not a count of unique lakes and must not be summed. Storage does not establish drinking-water safety or your home’s water supply.
Falls Lake
Reservoir elevation above source datum
247.17 ft· USGS Water Data
Lake Norman
Lake level relative to full pond
97.49 ft (full pond = 100)· Duke Energy Lake View
Mountain Island Lake
Lake level relative to full pond
96.6 ft (full pond = 100)· Duke Energy Lake View
River flow
North Carolina river-gauge histories
Explore daily flow readings and history at 224 named USGS gauges in North Carolina. These are individual monitoring sites, not a complete inventory or a river-wide water-health score. Check the gauge location, date and source notes. Flow does not establish drinking-water safety or supply to a home.
ABBOTTS CREEK AT LEXINGTON, NC
Daily mean flow at the named gauge
48.1 ft³/s· US Geological Survey
AHOSKIE CREEK AT AHOSKIE, NC
Daily mean flow at the named gauge
3.05 ft³/s· US Geological Survey
ARARAT RIVER AT ARARAT, NC
Daily mean flow at the named gauge
164 ft³/s· US Geological Survey
BACK CR AT SR1173 NEAR HARRISBURG, NC
Daily mean flow at the named gauge
1.11 ft³/s· US Geological Survey
BEAVERDAM CREEK AB WINDY GAP ROAD NR SHOPTON, NC
Daily mean flow at the named gauge
2.71 ft³/s· US Geological Survey
BEETREE CREEK NEAR SWANNANOA, NC
Daily mean flow at the named gauge
1.75 ft³/s· US Geological Survey
Available records
Available tests and water assessments
These counts bring together results from local place pages, and some may overlap. They tell you how much information is available, not how much water is in good or poor condition.
North Carolina water planning
Water planning in North Carolina
State planning records and permits describe supply and management decisions. They are separate from measurements of current conditions.
State records
Restrictions
About these records
These details come from official state plans and reports. A planning estimate describes what may be needed or supplied, not what was measured today.
- Measure
- Restriction
- Reporting period
- Observation
State records
Supply
About these records
These details come from official state plans and reports. A planning estimate describes what may be needed or supplied, not what was measured today.
- Measure
- Available supply
- Reporting period
- Plan cycle
State records
Demand
About these records
These details come from official state plans and reports. A planning estimate describes what may be needed or supplied, not what was measured today.
- Measure
- Service area demand
- Reporting period
- Plan cycle
State records
Future demand
About these records
These details come from official state plans and reports. A planning estimate describes what may be needed or supplied, not what was measured today.
- Measure
- Projected demand
- Reporting period
- Plan cycle
State records
Groundwater
About these records
These details come from official state plans and reports. A planning estimate describes what may be needed or supplied, not what was measured today.
- Measure
- Groundwater
- Reporting period
- Plan cycle
State records
Water planning
About these records
These details come from official state plans and reports. A planning estimate describes what may be needed or supplied, not what was measured today.
- Measure
- Local water supply plan
- Reporting period
- Plan cycle
Water planning regions
Catawba basin referenceRiver basinNeuse basin referenceRiver basinFrench Broad basin referenceRiver basinCape Fear basin referenceRiver basinSources and limitations
North Carolina has more detailed utility information here than some other states. Local utility plans, reported restrictions and groundwater information remain available on the place pages.
- North Carolina Division of Water Resources: Local Water Supply PlansAvailable supply, demand, and projections retain state definitions.
- North Carolina Division of Water Resources: Water Resources state condition programsRestrictions and groundwater condition are separate modules.
Places to explore
Places in this state
Some places have local conditions and testing records; others have state planning information. More data does not mean better or worse water.
HickoryLocal conditions and state records · reservoir dependentCharlotteLocal conditions and state records · major metroRaleighLocal conditions and state records · rapid growthAshevilleState planning information · mountainWilmingtonState planning information · coastalDiscovery
Continue beyond North Carolina
These places share geography or comparable data. Their water conditions may differ.
Water in smaller communities
Explore local providers, source water and dated drinking-water tests.