Temporary change in forecast services for the Muskingum River at McConnelsville, Ohio

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
248 PM EDT Fri Mar 13 2026

...Temporary change in forecast services for the Muskingum River
at McConnelsville, Ohio...

WHAT IS CHANGING:
Effective March 31, 2026, the National Weather Service (NWS) in
Charleston, West Virginia will temporarily transition the forecast
service level for the Muskingum River at McConnelsville (MCCO1)
from "Routine" to "Flood-Only." During this temporary period, the
NWS will pause issuing daily river stage forecasts for normal,
non-threatening water levels. Forecasts will only be issued when
the river is expected to rise to Action Stage or officially reach
Flood Stage. However, river stage observations will remain fully
available and continuously updated.

WHY THIS IS HAPPENING:
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) recently
completed a modernization of the McConnelsville Lock 7 dam.
Because this updated structure passes water more efficiently than
the old dam, the local flow dynamics around the streamgage have
changed. To ensure the forecast remains as accurate as possible,
the NWS and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) are
currently recalibrating the rating curve used to translate river
flow into forecasted river heights. We would be pausing everyday
forecasts while this recalibration takes place.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU:
* For Boaters and Recreational Users: 3-to-5 day forecasts for
  normal, everyday water levels will be temporarily unavailable.
  However, you will still be able to view current river level
  observations at all times.

* For Public Safety: The NWS continuously monitors river conditions.
  Should the probability of a high water event increase, river
  forecasts will immediately resume along with any appropriate
  Flood Watches and Warnings.

WHEN WILL ROUTINE SERVICE RESUME?
The USGS is actively taking physical field measurements of the
river to build the updated rating curve. Once this new data is
finalized and implemented into our forecasting software, routine
daily forecasts will resume.

Specific hydrologic information pertaining to the Muskingum River
at McConnelsville can be viewed at:
https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/MCCO1

For questions regarding this temporary service change, please
contact:

Nick Webb
Senior Service Hydrologist
NWS Charleston, WV
(304) 356-5965
nicholas.webb@noaa.gov