Etowah River Downstream of I-575, at Canton water level

Name: Etowah River Downstream of I-575, at Canton 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 Downstream of I-575, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.75ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:45 PM EDT (27 min ago)

Flow: 214 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Etowah River Downstream of I-575, at Canton: the gauge reads 1.75 ft, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.74 ft below the median of 2.49 ft for mid-October, based on 18 years of readings. It is 15.25 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 2.03 ft (−0.28 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.65 ft – 3.41 ft.

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

Compared with 18 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.49 ft0.74 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.48 ft – 4.19 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (18 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.03 ft−0.28 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.65 ft – 3.41 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.61 ft – 16.89 ft
Highest on record: 24.87 ftFebruary 13, 2025

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 17.00 ft.

What happens at each level

31.00 ft: Widespread inundation flooding never seen before occurs generally east of Canton near the Interstate 575 bridge. Flood waters will be up to 6 feet deep in all of the businesses on Old Ball Ground Highway and Keith Drive. Flooding will occur on Riverstone Parkway between the Interstate and Riverstone Boulevard. Flood waters will enter the USGS gage house and will likely cause a data transmission loss.
29.00 ft: Major flooding continues with widespread inundation occurring generally east of Canton near the Interstate 575 bridge. Flood waters will reach the foundation of a Cherokee County sewage pump station off of Riverstone Parkway and some businesses on Old Ball Ground Highway and Keith Drive will be flooded with up to 4 feet of water. Flood waters will be up to 8 feet deep around the wooden structure supporting the USGS gage house behind the pump station.
27.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Widespread inundation flooding occurs generally east of Canton near the Interstate 575 bridge. A sewer cover behind a pump station off of Riverstone Parkway and some businesses on Old Ball Ground Highway and Keith Drive will be flooded with up to 3 feet of water. Flood waters will be up to 6 feet deep around the wooden structure supporting the USGS gage house behind the pump station.
26.00 ft: Significant flooding continues to expand further generally east of Canton near the Interstate 575 bridge. A sewer cover behind a pump station off of Riverstone Parkway and some businesses on Old Ball Ground Highway and Keith Drive will be flooded with up to two feet of water. Flood waters will be up to 5 feet deep around the wooden structure supporting the USGS gage house behind the pump station.
24.00 ft: Significant flooding continues generally east of Canton near the Interstate 575 bridge. The flood waters will top a sewer cover behind a pump station off of Riverstone Parkway and affect the foundations of some businesses on Old Ball Ground Highway and Keith Drive. Flood waters will be up to 3 feet deep around the wooden structure supporting the USGS gage house behind the pump station.
23.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding occurs generally east of Canton near the Interstate 575 bridge. The flood waters will approach the top of a sewer cover behind a pump station off of Riverstone Parkway and the foundations of some businesses on Old Ball Ground Highway and Keith Drive. Flood waters will be up to two feet deep around the wooden structure supporting the USGS gage house behind the pump station.
22.00 ft: Minor flooding expands much further into the woodlands and fields along the river generally east of Canton near the Interstate 575 bridge. A grassy lot behind a pump station off of Riverstone Parkway and areas behind the businesses on Old Ball Ground Highway and Keith Drive are flooded with up to 3 feet of water. An inground electrical box near the pump station and truck trailers at the end of Keith Drive will begin to flood. Flood waters will surround the wooden structure supporting the USGS gage house.
20.00 ft: Minor flooding continues to expand in the woodlands and fields along the river generally east of Canton near the Interstate 575 bridge. A rock landing and grassy lot behind a pump station off of Riverstone Parkway and areas behind the businesses on Old Ball Ground Highway and Keith Drive are flooded with up to two feet of water.
18.00 ft: Minor flooding continues in the woodlands and fields along the river generally east of Canton near the Interstate 575 bridge. A rock landing and grassy lot behind the pump station off of Riverstone Parkway begins to flood. Flooding also occurs in areas behind the businesses on Old Ball Ground Highway and Keith Drive.
17.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding begins in the woodlands and fields along the river generally east of Canton. This includes the grassy lot behind a pump station off Riverstone Parkway and near the Interstate 575 bridge.
16.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached along the river generally east of Canton. The water begins to flood low lying areas behind a pump station off Riverstone Parkway and near the Interstate 575 bridge.
1.75 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	24.87 ft	February 13, 2025
2	24.36 ft	August 8, 2013
3	24.03 ft	February 7, 2020
4	23.01 ft	December 23, 2013
5	22.90 ft	February 22, 2019
6	22.70 ft	February 11, 2020
7	22.28 ft	January 7, 2009
8	21.86 ft	January 5, 2023
9	21.78 ft	January 5, 2015
10	21.46 ft	January 10, 2024

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 76° 43° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 75° 48° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 77° 49° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 74° 50° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 71° 51° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 71° 48° – Wind 10 mph

26 Mon 73° 47° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:49 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hickory Log Creek near CantonRiver gauge, Hickory Log Creek	0.95 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	1.0 mi
Etowah River at CantonRiver gauge, Etowah River	1.16 ft	Very low	±0	1.6 mi
Sharp Mountain Creek at Old GA 5, below Ball GroundRiver gauge, Sharp Mountain Creek	2.68 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	5.6 mi
Shoal Creek at GA 108, near WaleskaRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	2.09 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	7 mi
Little River at GA 5, near WoodstockRiver gauge, Little River	0.36 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	9 mi
Settingdown Creek near Ball GroundRiver gauge, Settingdown Creek	0.29 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	12 mi
Noonday Creek at Shallowford Road, near WoodstockRiver gauge, Noonday Creek	1.28 ft	Low	±0	13 mi
Noonday Creek at Hawkins Store Road, near WoodstockRiver gauge, Noonday Creek	0.53 ft	Very low	±0	14 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Etowah River Downstream of I-575, at Canton compare with last year?

It is 0.28 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.03 ft.

What is flood stage for the Etowah River Downstream of I-575, at Canton?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 15.25 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Etowah River Downstream of I-575, at Canton in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.49 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.48 ft and 4.19 ft, based on 18 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 Downstream of I-575, at Canton today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.75 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Etowah River Downstream of I-575, at Canton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.37 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Etowah River Downstream of I-575, at Canton normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 18 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:02391860 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.25083, -84.46917 (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	1.75 ft	2026-10-21 02:45	Provisional
Flow	214 cfs	2026-10-21 02:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Etowah River Downstream of I-575, at Canton (usgs:02391860). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/etowah-river-downstream-of-i-575-at-canton

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