Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near Dawsonville water level

Name: Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near Dawsonville 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, Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, Georgia, United States

Directions

Very low for late October

Water level

3.53ft Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT (32 min ago)

Flow: 70.0 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near Dawsonville is running far below normal at 3.53 ft.

That puts it 0.38 ft below the median of 3.91 ft for late October, based on 9 years of readings. It is 10.47 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.59 ft (−0.06 ft).

It has risen 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 3.38 ft and 4.39 ft.

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

Compared with 9 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.91 ft0.38 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.59 ft – 4.90 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.59 ft−0.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.38 ft – 4.39 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.38 ft – 9.45 ft
Highest on record: 16.37 ftMarch 26, 2021

Floating and fishing near Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near Dawsonville

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

Flood stage here is 14.00 ft, 10.47 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Major flooding occurs upstream and downstream from the gage near Highway 53 East. Water touches the bottom of the Highway 53 bridge, and it may be closed. Flooding of property along the river banks is inundated, and may impact ponds along the bank.
16.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs upstream and downstream from the gage near Highway 53 East. Water begins to inundate property along the river on River Valley Road.
14.00 ft: Minor flooding occurs upstream and downstream from the gage near Highway 53 East.
12.00 ft: Water spreads into the natural floodplain upstream and downstream of the gage on Highway 53 East.
3.53 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.37 ft	March 26, 2021
2	16.17 ft	February 7, 2020
3	15.58 ft	October 11, 2020
4	14.82 ft	February 13, 2025
5	14.65 ft	January 11, 2026
6	14.58 ft	February 4, 2022
7	14.29 ft	January 10, 2024
8	13.49 ft	February 21, 2019
9	13.47 ft	December 27, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 73° 44° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 76° 46° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 71° 49° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 69° 47° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 69° 48° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 72° 46° – Wind 5 mph

27 Tue 72° 49° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Russell Creek 0.3 Mi Ds Head Lake near DawsonvilleRiver gauge, Russell Creek 0.3 Mi Ds Head Lake	0.52 ft	Low	±0	1.4 mi
Etowah River at GA 9, near DawsonvilleRiver gauge, Etowah River	3.56 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	3.2 mi
Etowah River at GA 136, near LanddrumRiver gauge, Etowah River	1.36 ft	Low	±0	3.3 mi
Etowah River at Kelly Bridge Road, near MattRiver gauge, Etowah River	1.02 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	8 mi
Amicalola Creek near DawsonvilleRiver gauge, Amicalola Creek	0.41 ft	Low	±0	9 mi
Chestatee River near DahlonegaRiver gauge, Chestatee River	0.71 ft	Low	±0	12 mi
Settingdown Creek near Ball GroundRiver gauge, Settingdown Creek	0.30 ft	Very low	±0	13 mi
Lake Sidney Lanier near BufordLake, Lake Sidney Lanier	1,063.37 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	15 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near Dawsonville compare with last year?

It is 0.06 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.59 ft.

What is flood stage for the Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near Dawsonville?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 10.47 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near Dawsonville in late October?

The median for late October is 3.91 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.59 ft and 4.90 ft, based on 9 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 Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near Dawsonville today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT, the water level was 3.53 ft. Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near Dawsonville rising or falling?

Up 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near Dawsonville normal?

Very low for late October. Compared with 9 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:02389050 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.37944, -84.06472 (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	3.53 ft	2026-10-21 09:00	Provisional
Flow	70.0 cfs	2026-10-21 09:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near Dawsonville (usgs:02389050). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/etowah-river-0-2-mi-ds-ga-53-near-dawsonville

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