South River at GA 81, at Snapping Shoals water level

Name: South River at GA 81, at Snapping Shoals 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, South River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

6.83ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 184 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at South River at GA 81, at Snapping Shoals reads 6.83 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 6.90 ft, based on 17 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.07 ft below typical. It is 5.17 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 6.92 ft, a difference of −0.09 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 6.70 ft and 8.57 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 17 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 6.90 ft0.07 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 6.65 ft – 7.05 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (17 years of records)
Same day last year: 6.92 ft−0.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 6.70 ft – 8.57 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 6.70 ft – 8.57 ft
Highest on record: 16.41 ftSeptember 28, 2024

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 12.00 ft, still 5.17 ft away.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Major flooding continues with widespread inundation flooding of the woodlands and fields along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 81. Flooding of some homes off Crown Landing Parkway and Aviation Court in Henry County occurs. Much further downstream in north Butts county...portions of Lucy Lane and Lunsford Road will be flooded up to 8 feet deep. Flood waters will be up to 4 feet deep in some homes.
20.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Widespread inundation flooding occurs in the woodlands and fields along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 81. Flooding of backyards of homes off Crown Landing Parkway and Aviation Court in Henry County occurs. Much further downstream in north Butts county...portions of Lucy Lane and Lunsford Road will be flooded up to 6 feet deep. Flood waters will be up to two feet deep in some homes.
18.00 ft: Significant flooding expands into the woodlands and fields along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 81. Much further downstream in north Butts county...yards of homes and portions of Lucy Lane and Lunsford Road will be flooded up to 4 feet deep. Flood waters will begin to enter some homes.
16.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding occurs in the woodlands and fields along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 81. Much further downstream in north Butts county...yards of homes and portions of Lucy Lane and Lunsford Road will be flooded up to two feet deep. The water level will be approaching the foundations of some homes.
14.00 ft: Minor flooding expands into woodlands and fields along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 81. Much further downstream in north Butts county...yards of homes and portions of Lucy Lane and Lunsford Road will be flooded.
12.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding begins in the woodlands and fields along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 81. Much further downstream...portions of Lucy Lane and Lunsford Road in north Butts County begin to flood.
10.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 81.
6.83 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.41 ft	September 28, 2024
2	14.85 ft	April 20, 2019
3	14.53 ft	December 26, 2015
4	13.36 ft	January 26, 2010
5	13.18 ft	September 22, 2009
6	13.04 ft	May 6, 2013
7	12.96 ft	December 31, 2015
8	12.95 ft	November 12, 2009
9	12.84 ft	December 23, 2013
10	12.74 ft	May 6, 2013

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 75° 40° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 75° 44° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 78° 47° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 74° 49° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 71° 49° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 72° 47° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 74° 47° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 13 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Other gauges on the South River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South River at Springdale Road, at AtlantaRiver gauge, South River	2.18 ft	Very low	±0	30 mi
South River at Forrest Park Road, at AtlantaRiver gauge, South River	2.88 ft	Below flood stage	±0	27 mi
South River at Bouldercrest Road at AtlantaRiver gauge, South River	2.31 ft	Below flood stage	±0	24 mi
South River at Flakes Mill Road near AtlantaRiver gauge, South River	2.00 ft	Low	±0	20 mi
South River at Klondike Road, near LithoniaRiver gauge, South River	5.00 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	14 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yellow River Rocky Plains Road near Rocky PlainsRiver gauge, Yellow River Rocky Plains Road	3.94 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	4.4 mi
Alcovy River below CovingtonRiver gauge, Alcovy River	1.65 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	8 mi
Honey Creek at GA 212, near ConyersRiver gauge, Honey Creek	1.87 ft	Normal	±0	9 mi
East Bear Creek at Poplar Road, near MansfieldRiver gauge, East Bear Creek	0.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Big Haynes Creek at Bald Rock Road, near MilsteadRiver gauge, Big Haynes Creek	−0.33 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	12 mi
Yellow River at Gees Mill Road, near MilsteadRiver gauge, Yellow River	1.25 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	13 mi
Cornish Creek at Hazelbrand Road near CovingtonRiver gauge, Cornish Creek	7.58 ft	Below flood stage	±0	14 mi
Ocmulgee River near JacksonRiver gauge, Ocmulgee River	4.06 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	14 mi

Questions and answers

Is the South River at GA 81, at Snapping Shoals higher than last year?

No, it is 0.09 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.92 ft.

What is flood stage for the South River at GA 81, at Snapping Shoals?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 5.17 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the South River at GA 81, at Snapping Shoals in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.90 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6.65 ft and 7.05 ft, based on 17 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 South River at GA 81, at Snapping Shoals today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:30 PM EDT, the water level was 6.83 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South River at GA 81, at Snapping Shoals rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.31 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South River at GA 81, at Snapping Shoals normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 17 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:02204520 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.48458, -83.95797 (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	6.83 ft	2026-10-20 21:30	Provisional
Flow	184 cfs	2026-10-20 21:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South River at GA 81, at Snapping Shoals (usgs:02204520). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/south-river-at-ga-81-at-snapping-shoals

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