Tallulah River near Clayton water level

Name: Tallulah River near Clayton 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, Tallulah River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.78ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:45 PM EDT (42 min ago)

Flow: 52.6 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 1.78 ft, the Tallulah River near Clayton is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.21 ft below the median of 1.99 ft for mid-October, based on 25 years of readings. It is 18.22 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.88 ft (−0.10 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 1.73 ft and 2.53 ft.

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

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.99 ft0.21 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.62 ft – 2.40 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.88 ft−0.10 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.73 ft – 2.53 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.72 ft – 3.95 ft
Highest on record: 12.00 ftMay 28, 1973

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 20.00 ft, still 18.22 ft away.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: BACKWATER EFFECTS FROM THE TULLULAH RIVER ON PERSIMMON CREEK MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF HOMES ALONG THE CREEK.
20.50 ft: A FEW HOMES DOWNSTREAM OF GAGE ALONG THE RIVER MAY BEGIN TO FLOOD.
10.00 ft: 10 FT GAGE STRUCTURE WILL LIKELY BE FLOODED.
5.00 ft: AT 5 FT FRED THOMPSON ROAD SHOULD BE FLOODED. THERE IS ONLY ONE HOME OFF THIS ROAD BUT IT IS ON HIGHER GROUND AND IS LIKELY USED AS VACATION CABIN.
3.00 ft: 3 INCHES OF RAIN IN 12 HOURS WILL NOT CAUSE ANY FLOODING.
2.50 ft: 2.50 IN 3 HOURS DID NOT CAUSE FLOODING. HEAVY RAIN TO THE WEST OF THIS GAGE SITE WILL FLOW INTO DICKS, CHASTAIN, MOCCASIN OR WILDCAT CREEKS. THIS AREA IS FOREST LAND AND ONLY HAS 1 ROAD...WILDCAT ROAD.
1.78 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.00 ft	May 28, 1973
2	11.12 ft	October 4, 1964
3	11.08 ft	September 7, 2004
4	10.59 ft	September 17, 2004
5	10.36 ft	May 15, 1976
6	10.12 ft	March 4, 1979
7	9.17 ft	February 13, 1966
8	9.09 ft	January 7, 1998
9	9.00 ft	February 16, 1990
10	8.74 ft	December 26, 1973

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 71° 45° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 72° 47° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 74° 48° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 68° 50° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 66° 46° – Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 67° 44° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 68° 45° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:45 AM Sunset 06:54 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Tallulah River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tallulah River at Terrora Pwrhse, near Tallulah FallsRiver gauge, Tallulah River	1.89 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	12 mi
Tallulah River above Powerhouse, near Tallulah FallsRiver gauge, Tallulah River	5.17 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	14 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tiger Creek near LakemontRiver gauge, Tiger Creek	0.34 ft	Normal	±0	10 mi
Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near HiawasseeRiver gauge, Hiwassee River	2.43 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	11 mi
Chattooga River near ClaytonRiver gauge, Chattooga River	1.16 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	14 mi
Nantahala River near Rainbow SpringsRiver gauge, Nantahala River	0.94 ft	Normal	±0	17 mi
Chattahoochee River at HelenRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	0.40 ft	Low	±0	17 mi
Soque River at GA 197, near ClarkesvilleRiver gauge, Soque River	3.50 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	19 mi
Cartoogechaye Creek at SR 1148 near FranklinRiver gauge, Cartoogechaye Creek	0.18 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	19 mi
Little Tennessee River near PrentissRiver gauge, Little Tennessee River	1.42 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	20 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Tallulah River near Clayton compare with last year?

It is 0.10 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.88 ft.

What is flood stage for the Tallulah River near Clayton?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 18.22 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 1.99 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.62 ft and 2.40 ft, based on 25 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 Tallulah River near Clayton today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.78 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Tallulah River near Clayton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.20 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Tallulah River near Clayton normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 25 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:02178400 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.88997, -83.53064 (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	1.78 ft	2026-10-20 19:45	Provisional
Flow	52.6 cfs	2026-10-20 19:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Tallulah River near Clayton (usgs:02178400). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/tallulah-river-near-clayton

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