Chattooga River near Clayton water level

Name: Chattooga River near Clayton water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Chattooga River, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.16ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:00 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 179 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

The Chattooga River near Clayton is running below normal at 1.16 ft.

That puts it 0.32 ft below the median of 1.48 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. It is 13.84 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.30 ft (−0.14 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 1.08 ft and 2.30 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.48 ft0.32 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.94 ft – 2.01 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.30 ft−0.14 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.08 ft – 2.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.08 ft – 3.18 ft
Highest on record: 13.80 ftAugust 30, 1940

Floating and fishing near Chattooga River near Clayton

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 13.84 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

42.00 ft: ROAD OVER THE RIVER WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD...BUT IS WELL ABOVE RECORD CREST OF 13.8 FEET.
15.00 ft: ROADS DOWNSTREAM MAY START TO FLOOD
7.00 ft: RIVER LEVELS WILL BE VERY HIGH AND VERY DANGEROUS FOR RAFTERS OR ANYONE NEAR THE RIVER.
5.00 ft: 5 INCH BASINWIDE 36 HR RAINFALL CAUSED 4 FT RISE...FROM 1.5 TO 5.5 FEET.
4.50 ft: LEVEL AT WHICH WHITEWATER RAFTING WILL BECOME DANGEROUS AND RIVER OPERATIONS WILL BE SHUT DOWN. THERE IS A 5 HOUR DELAY IN CREST AFTER CREST AT BURG1.
3.50 ft: GENERAL RAIN OF 3 TO 4 INCHES IN 12 HOURS WILL TAKE THE RIVER ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. RIVER LEVEL WILL BE AROUND 6 FT
2.75 ft: 2.75 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN IN 12 HOURS WILL TAKE RIVER TO 4.30 FT
1.16 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.80 ft	August 30, 1940
2	12.00 ft	May 28, 1973
3	11.37 ft	September 27, 2024
4	11.21 ft	September 17, 2004
5	11.12 ft	October 4, 1964
6	10.36 ft	May 15, 1976
7	10.12 ft	March 4, 1979
8	9.21 ft	September 8, 2004
9	9.17 ft	February 13, 1966
10	9.09 ft	January 8, 1998

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 06:54 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Chattooga River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chattooga River at Burrells Ford, near Pine MountainRiver gauge, Chattooga River	0.79 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	15 mi
Chattooga River at SummervilleRiver gauge, Chattooga River	1.89 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	118 mi
Chattooga River above GaylesvilleRiver gauge, Chattooga River	3.78 ft	Very low	±0	130 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tiger Creek near LakemontRiver gauge, Tiger Creek	0.34 ft	Normal	±0	6 mi
Tallulah River above Powerhouse, near Tallulah FallsRiver gauge, Tallulah River	5.18 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Tallulah River at Terrora Pwrhse, near Tallulah FallsRiver gauge, Tallulah River	1.89 ft	Normal	±0	7 mi
Tallulah River near ClaytonRiver gauge, Tallulah River	1.78 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Soque River at GA 197, near ClarkesvilleRiver gauge, Soque River	3.51 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	18 mi
Coneross Creek near SenecaRiver gauge, Coneross Creek	3.25 ft	Normal	±0	21 mi
Little Tennessee River near PrentissRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River	1.42 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	24 mi
Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near HiawasseeRiver gauge, Hiwassee River	2.43 ft	Low	±0	24 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Chattooga River near Clayton compare with last year?

It is 0.14 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.30 ft.

What is flood stage for the Chattooga River near Clayton?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 13.84 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Chattooga River near Clayton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.48 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.94 ft and 2.01 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Chattooga River near Clayton today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:00 PM EDT, the water level was 1.16 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Chattooga River near Clayton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.28 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Chattooga River near Clayton normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02177000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.81378, -83.30636 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	1.16 ft	2026-10-20 17:00	Provisional
Flow	179 cfs	2026-10-20 17:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Chattooga River near Clayton (usgs:02177000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/chattooga-river-near-clayton

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer