WARNING — USE AT YOUR OWN RISK
This tool provides predictions and estimates only. Flow conditions, water levels, and wading safety can change rapidly and without warning due to dam releases, weather, or equipment error. Do not rely on this information for personal safety. Wading in a tailwater river is inherently dangerous. You assume all risk by entering the water. Always check conditions in person, wear appropriate gear, and have an exit plan. This site is not a substitute for your own judgment. The operators of this site accept no liability for injury, death, or loss of any kind.
Watauga Tailwater
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Air Temp—
Conditions—
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Best Window Today
Calculating…
Current Flow — Wilbur Tailwater
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CFS
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Wilbur Reservoir
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ft elevation
Tailwater Elev.
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ft elevation
As Of
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Watauga Dam — Upstream Reservoir
Watauga Dam
~9 mi upstream · influences Wilbur reservoir with a lag
Reservoir Elev.
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Tailwater Elev.
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Discharge
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No Watauga data yet — run update pipeline.
Current Conditions — Elizabethton, TN
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Feels like —
Condition—
Humidity—
Wind—
Precip (1h)—
Fishing Conditions
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/10
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Analyzing current flow data…
Tailwater Access — Live Spot Conditions
Safe to Wade
Wave En Route (>90 min)
EXIT NOW — Rise <90 min
STAY OUT — Generating
Clearing — Not Yet Safe
Wading target ~1,583 ft ± 6 in · propagation model from Wilbur sensor
48-Hour Flow History
Discharge (CFS) — Last 48 Hours · green = base flow · amber = generation
Flow Benchmarks
Baseline Flow
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CFS — typical minimum
Generation Band
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CFS — turbine running
30-Day Precip
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in — watershed mean
7-Day Precip
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in — watershed mean
3-Day Precip
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in — watershed mean
Watershed
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30-day moisture level
Generation History — Last 30 Days
Hours of generation per day — darker = more generation · hover for details
0 hrs
1–4 hrs
5–8 hrs
9+ hrs
(requires history data — grows over time)
When Does TVA Typically Generate?
Historical generation frequency by hour of day — % of readings that were GEN at each hour
Requires wilbur_observed_history.csv — grows more accurate over time.
Watershed Stations — 30-Day
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Daily Precip (in) — 30-Day History
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30-day daily mean temp — 8 watershed stations (°F)
Trip Reports
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