Settingdown Creek near Ball Ground water level

Name: Settingdown Creek near Ball Ground 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, Settingdown Creek, Georgia, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.29ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT (53 min ago)

Flow: 14.4 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 0.29 ft, Settingdown Creek near Ball Ground is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.66 ft below the median of 0.95 ft for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. It is 12.71 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 0.62 ft (−0.33 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.19 ft and 1.11 ft.

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

Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 0.95 ft0.66 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.50 ft – 2.28 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.62 ft−0.33 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.19 ft – 1.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.19 ft – 6.79 ft
Highest on record: 14.23 ftSeptember 22, 2009

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 13.00 ft, still 12.71 ft away.

What happens at each level

25.00 ft: Major flooding continues with widespread inundation flooding occurring in the fields and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Hightower Road or Georgia Highway 369. Flood waters will top the bridge and erosion may occur on the sides of the embankment. County officals will have it closed. Portions of the road will be under two feet of water.
23.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Widespread inundation flooding occurs in the fields and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Hightower Road or Georgia Highway 369. The water level will be hitting the bridge and erosion may occur on the sides of the embankment. County officals will likely have it closed. The road will begin to flood.
21.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding occurs in the fields and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Hightower Road or Georgia Highway 369. The water level will reach the bottom of the bridge and county officials may need to close it.
19.00 ft: Minor flooding expands further into the fields and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Hightower Road or Georgia Highway 369.
17.00 ft: Minor flooding expands into the fields and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Hightower Road or Georgia Highway 369.
15.00 ft: Minor flooding continues in the fields and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Hightower Road or Georgia Highway 369.
13.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding begins in the fields and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Hightower Road or Georgia Highway 369.
10.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached in the fields and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Hightower Road or Georgia Highway 369.
0.29 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.23 ft	September 22, 2009
2	13.73 ft	February 7, 2020
3	13.71 ft	February 13, 2025
4	12.69 ft	August 7, 2013
5	12.49 ft	December 23, 2013
6	11.89 ft	November 11, 2009
7	10.88 ft	November 16, 2006

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 69° 38° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 74° 42° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 75° 48° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 76° 50° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 73° 50° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 69° 51° – Wind 14 mph

25 Sun 69° 47° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:59 PM Daylight 11 hr, 13 min First quarter 60%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Etowah River at Kelly Bridge Road, near MattRiver gauge, Etowah River	1.00 ft	Low	±0	5.2 mi
Sharp Mountain Creek at Old GA 5, below Ball GroundRiver gauge, Sharp Mountain Creek	2.67 ft	Low	±0	8 mi
Etowah River at GA 9, near DawsonvilleRiver gauge, Etowah River	3.50 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Amicalola Creek near DawsonvilleRiver gauge, Amicalola Creek	0.41 ft	Low	±0	10 mi
Big Creek at GA 9, near CummingRiver gauge, Big Creek	−0.56 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Etowah River Downstream of I-575, at CantonRiver gauge, Etowah River Downstream of I-575	1.72 ft	Low	−0.06 ft	12 mi
Hickory Log Creek near CantonRiver gauge, Hickory Log Creek	0.94 ft	Normal	±0	12 mi
Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53, near DawsonvilleRiver gauge, Etowah River 0.2 Mi Ds GA 53	3.51 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	13 mi

Questions and answers

How does Settingdown Creek near Ball Ground compare with last year?

It is 0.33 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.62 ft.

What is flood stage for Settingdown Creek near Ball Ground?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 12.71 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Settingdown Creek near Ball Ground in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.95 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.50 ft and 2.28 ft, based on 21 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 Settingdown Creek near Ball Ground today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT, the water level was 0.29 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Settingdown Creek near Ball Ground rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.46 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Settingdown Creek near Ball Ground normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 21 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:02390140 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.29317, -84.26356 (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	0.29 ft	2026-10-19 16:15	Provisional
Flow	14.4 cfs	2026-10-19 16:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Settingdown Creek near Ball Ground (usgs:02390140). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/settingdown-creek-near-ball-ground

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