Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near Buford water level

Name: Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near Buford 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, Richland Creek, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for late October

Water level

0.42ft Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:30 AM EDT (51 min ago)

Flow: 5.1 cfs
Water temperature: 58 °F

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 Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near Buford: the gauge reads 0.42 ft, below normal for late October.

The median for late October is 0.45 ft, based on 26 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.03 ft below typical. It is 9.58 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.51 ft, a difference of −0.09 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.15 ft over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

The water temperature at the gauge is 58 °F.

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.45 ft0.03 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.40 ft – 0.58 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.51 ft−0.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.38 ft – 1.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.38 ft – 2.51 ft
Highest on record: 10.45 ftMay 19, 2013

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 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Major flooding begins with widespread inundation of the woodlands and fields along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Suwanee Dam Road. The water level continues to hit the road bed above the concrete box culvert with erosion likely. The athletic fields at Gary Pirkle Park will be completely flooded up to 4 feet deep. The community garden off Austin Garner Road will be under 3 feet of water.
14.00 ft: Significant flooding expands into the woodlands and fields along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Suwanee Dam Road. The water level continues to hit the road bed above the concrete box culvert with erosion likely. Large portions of the athletic fields at Gary Pirkle Park will be flooded around 3 feet deep. Most of the community garden off Austin Garner Road will be under two feet of water.
13.00 ft: Significant flooding continues in the woodlands and fields along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Suwanee Dam Road. The water level begins to hit the road bed above the concrete box culvert with possible erosion. Portions of the athletic fields at Gary Pirkle Park will be flooded around two feet deep. A portion of a community garden off Austin Garner Road will be under a foot of water.
12.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding occurs in the woodlands and fields along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Suwanee Dam Road. The water level reaches the top of the concrete box culvert under the road with maximum flow. Portions of the athletic fields at Gary Pirkle Park will be flooded around one foot deep. A portion of a community garden off Austin Garner Road will begin to flood.
11.00 ft: Minor flooding expands into the woodlands and fields along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Suwanee Dam Road. Portions of the athletic fields at Gary Pirkle Park will be flooded around one foot deep. A portion of a community garden off Austin Garner Road will begin to flood.
10.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding begins in the woodlands and fields along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Suwanee Dam Road. Low lying areas of Gary Pirkle Park begin to flood.
8.00 ft: Bankfull conditions occur along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Suwanee Dam Road.
0.42 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.45 ft	May 19, 2013
2	9.70 ft	October 5, 1995
3	8.37 ft	July 25, 2001
4	8.20 ft	April 9, 1998
5	7.94 ft	February 16, 1995
6	7.52 ft	December 24, 2002

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 73° 46° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 76° 48° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 73° 49° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 70° 48° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 70° 49° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 72° 45° – Wind 7 mph

27 Tue 73° 49° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on Richland Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Richland Creek at Old Dallas Road, near DallasRiver gauge, Richland Creek	0.92 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	45 mi
Richland Creek at DaytonRiver gauge, Richland Creek	5.18 ft	No reference yet	±0	108 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near BufordRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	−0.57 ft	Very low	±0	1.7 mi
Chattahoochee River Buford Dam near BufordRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River Buford Dam	912.14 ft	Very low	±0	2.0 mi
Lake Sidney Lanier near BufordLake, Lake Sidney Lanier	1,063.36 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	2.1 mi
Level Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near SuwaneeRiver gauge, Level Creek	3.58 ft	High	±0	2.5 mi
Dick Creek at Old Atlanta Road, near SuwaneeRiver gauge, Dick Creek	6.34 ft	Very high	+0.01 ft	5.4 mi
Chattahoochee R 0.76 Mi Us McGinnis Fy SuwaneeRiver gauge	2.81 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	5.7 mi
Suwanee Creek at SuwaneeRiver gauge, Suwanee Creek	−0.80 ft	Very low	±0	7 mi
Ivy Creek at Thompson Mill Road, near BufordRiver gauge, Ivy Creek	1.86 ft	Normal	±0	7 mi

Questions and answers

Is Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near Buford higher than last year?

No, it is 0.09 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.51 ft.

What is flood stage for Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near Buford?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 9.58 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near Buford in late October?

The median for late October is 0.45 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.40 ft and 0.58 ft, based on 26 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 Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near Buford today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:30 AM EDT, the water level was 0.42 ft. Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near Buford rising or falling?

Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near Buford normal?

Low for late October. Compared with 26 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:02334480 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.13250, -84.07000 (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	0.42 ft	2026-10-21 07:30	Provisional
Flow	5.1 cfs	2026-10-21 07:30	Provisional
Water temperature	58 °F	2026-10-21 07:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near Buford (usgs:02334480). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/richland-creek-at-suwanee-dam-road-near-buford

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