Oconee River near Oconee water level

Name: Oconee River near Oconee 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, Oconee River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.11ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 AM EDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 424 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:27 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

At 1.11 ft, the Oconee River near Oconee is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.66 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.55 ft below typical. It is 15.89 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.10 ft, a difference of +0.01 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.94 ft and 1.50 ft.

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.66 ft1.55 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.70 ft – 6.36 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.10 ft+0.01 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.94 ft – 1.50 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.94 ft – 17.78 ft
Highest on record: 29.90 ftMarch 10, 1998
Forecast peak: 1.10 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM

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 17.00 ft, still 15.89 ft away.

What happens at each level

29.00 ft: Near record flooding occurs with widespread inundation of the woodlands along the river. Some areas will be up to 10 feet under water. Old Balls Ferry Road north of Georgia Highway 57 will be under 3 to 7 feet of water. The water level will be around 4 feet deep in the USGS gage house near the boat ramp. This will likely cause a loss of data transmission.
27.00 ft: Major flooding continues. Most of Old Balls Ferry Road north of Georgia Highway 57 will be under 3 to 5 feet of water. The water level will be around two feet deep in the USGS gage house near the boat ramp. This may affect data transmission. Widespread flooding up to several feet deep of the woodlands near the river occurs.
25.00 ft: Major flooding occurs. Most of Old Balls Ferry Road north of Georgia Highway 57 will be under one to three feet of water. The water level reaches the bottom of the USGS gaging equipment near the boat ramp. Widespread flooding up to several feet deep of the woodlands near the river occurs.
23.00 ft: Moderate flooding continues. Portions of the Old Balls Ferry Road leading to the boat ramp becomes flooded with a foot of water or more. The entire dirt parking lot near the boat ramp is under three to five feet of water. Extensive flooding of the woodlands near the river continues.
21.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. The dirt parking lot by the Old Balls Ferry Road boat ramp is under one to three feet of water. The end of Old Balls Ferry Road begins to flood. Flooding continues and spreads further into the woodlands near the river.
19.00 ft: The water level begins to flood the dirt parking lot area near the Old Balls Ferry Road boat ramp...just upstream and rightbank from the Georgia Highway 57 bridge. Minor flooding continues and spreads further into the woodlands near the river.
18.00 ft: The water level begins to flood portions of the dirt parking lot area near the Old Balls Ferry Road boat ramp...just upstream and rightbank from the Georgia Highway 57 bridge. Minor flooding continues in the woodlands near the river.
17.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. The water level reaches the top of the Old Balls Ferry Road boat ramp...just upstream and rightbank from the Georgia Highway 57 bridge. Minor flooding of woodlands near the river occurs.
14.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached along the river. The Old Balls Ferry Road boat ramp...just upstream and right bank from the Georgia Highway 57 bridge...will begin to flood.
1.11 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 26 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	29.90 ft	March 10, 1998
2	27.01 ft	December 26, 2015
3	26.39 ft	February 9, 2020
4	25.82 ft	February 20, 1995
5	25.55 ft	March 29, 2023
6	25.28 ft	April 4, 2009
7	24.84 ft	April 9, 2022
8	24.22 ft	February 15, 2024
9	24.02 ft	March 9, 1996
10	24.00 ft	February 21, 2020

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 69° 44° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 75° 41° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 76° 52° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 79° 54° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 76° 54° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 73° 54° – Wind 15 mph

25 Sun 74° 52° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:39 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 11 hr, 16 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the Oconee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Oconee River near PenfieldRiver gauge, Oconee River	2.89 ft	Low	−0.06 ft	67 mi
Oconee River at MilledgevilleRiver gauge, Oconee River	7.08 ft	Low	±0	26 mi
Oconee River at Avant Mine, near OconeeRiver gauge, Oconee River	1.27 ft	Low	±0	12 mi
Oconee River at DublinRiver gauge, Oconee River	1.31 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	17 mi
Oconee River near Mount VernonRiver gauge, Oconee River	0.68 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	45 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Buffalo Creek at GA 272, near OconeeRiver gauge, Buffalo Creek	5.86 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	7 mi
Big Sandy Creek at US 441, near IrwintonRiver gauge, Big Sandy Creek	2.83 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	12 mi
Commissioner Creek at US 441, at McIntyreRiver gauge, Commissioner Creek	7.24 ft	Very low	−0.14 ft	14 mi
Williamson Swamp Creek at DavisboroRiver gauge, Williamson Swamp Creek	2.34 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	24 mi
Ogeechee River at GA 88, near GrangeRiver gauge, Ogeechee River	6.56 ft	Normal	−0.13 ft	27 mi
Ocmulgee River at GA 96, near BonaireRiver gauge, Ocmulgee River	2.36 ft	Normal	−0.81 ft	38 mi
Ocmulgee River at MaconRiver gauge, Ocmulgee River	5.55 ft	Low	−0.14 ft	39 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Oconee River near Oconee higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.01 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.10 ft.

What is flood stage for the Oconee River near Oconee?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 15.89 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 2.66 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.70 ft and 6.36 ft, based on 31 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 Oconee River near Oconee today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 AM EDT, the water level was 1.11 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Oconee River near Oconee rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.39 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Oconee River near Oconee normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 31 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:02223248 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 32.78772, -82.95692 (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	1.11 ft	2026-10-19 13:45	Provisional
Flow	424 cfs	2026-10-19 13:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Oconee River near Oconee (usgs:02223248). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/oconee-river-near-oconee

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