Hillabahatchee Creek at Thaxton Road, near Franklin water level

Name: Hillabahatchee Creek at Thaxton Road, near Franklin 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, Hillabahatchee Creek, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.82ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 3.9 cfs
Water temperature: 56 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 1.82 ft, Hillabahatchee Creek at Thaxton Road, near Franklin is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.95 ft, based on 24 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.13 ft below typical. It is 10.18 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.88 ft, a difference of −0.06 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The water temperature at the gauge is 56 °F.

Compared with 24 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.95 ft0.13 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.77 ft – 2.18 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (24 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.88 ft−0.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.75 ft – 2.20 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.73 ft – 2.84 ft
Highest on record: 14.44 ftMay 7, 2003

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 12.00 ft, still 10.18 ft away.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Widespread inundation flooding occurs in the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Thaxton Road. The water level continues to hit the bridge and flooding will begin on low portions of the road. County officials will close it due to potential erosion to the sides of the bridge and flood waters covering the road.
18.00 ft: Significant flooding expands further into the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Thaxton Road. The water level continues to hit the bridge and may cause erosion to the sides of the bridge. County officials will likely close it.
16.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding occurs in the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Thaxton Road. The water level will reach the bottom of the bridge and county officials may need to close it.
14.00 ft: Minor flooding continues to expand into the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Thaxton Road.
12.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding begins in the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Thaxton Road.
10.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Thaxton Road.
1.82 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.44 ft	May 7, 2003
2	9.60 ft	July 6, 2005
3	8.17 ft	May 3, 2010
4	7.07 ft	January 23, 2012

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 75° 44° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 76° 49° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 78° 53° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 74° 50° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 70° 47° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 70° 46° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 71° 46° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 07:02 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chattahoochee River at GA 100, at FranklinRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	8.01 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	8 mi
Little Tallapoosa River at GA 100, near BowdonRiver gauge, Little Tallapoosa River	2.18 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Little Tallapoosa River near NewellRiver gauge, Little Tallapoosa River	1.61 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	12 mi
New River at GA 100, near CorinthRiver gauge, New River	2.62 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	16 mi
Little Tallapoosa River at US 27, at CarrolltonRiver gauge, Little Tallapoosa River	1.83 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	20 mi
Yellowjacket Creek-Hammett Road, below HogansvilleRiver gauge, Yellowjacket Creek-Hammett Road	0.29 ft	Very low	−0.14 ft	20 mi
Chattahoochee River near WhitesburgRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	2.83 ft	Low	−0.13 ft	21 mi
Snake Creek Ds Snake Creek Reservior near WhitesburgRiver gauge, Snake Creek Ds Snake Creek Reservior	2.94 ft	Very low	±0	21 mi

Questions and answers

Is Hillabahatchee Creek at Thaxton Road, near Franklin higher than last year?

No, it is 0.06 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.88 ft.

What is flood stage for Hillabahatchee Creek at Thaxton Road, near Franklin?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.18 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Hillabahatchee Creek at Thaxton Road, near Franklin in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.95 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.77 ft and 2.18 ft, based on 24 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 Hillabahatchee Creek at Thaxton Road, near Franklin today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.82 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Hillabahatchee Creek at Thaxton Road, near Franklin rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Hillabahatchee Creek at Thaxton Road, near Franklin normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 24 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:02338523 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.34072, -85.22672 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	1.82 ft	2026-10-21 03:45	Provisional
Flow	3.9 cfs	2026-10-21 03:45	Provisional
Water temperature	56 °F	2026-10-21 03:45	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/11489?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Hillabahatchee Creek at Thaxton Road, near Franklin water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Hillabahatchee Creek at Thaxton Road, near Franklin (usgs:02338523). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/hillabahatchee-creek-at-thaxton-road-near-franklin

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