Oostanaula Creek near Sanford water level

Name: Oostanaula Creek near Sanford 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, Oostanaula Creek, Tennessee, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.22ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 21.1 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Oostanaula Creek near Sanford reads 2.22 ft, a normal level.

It is 6.78 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.21 ft and 2.25 ft.

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

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 9.85 ftFebruary 7, 2020

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 9.00 ft, still 6.78 ft away.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Water reaches the surfaces of the bridge on Eastanallee Valley Road near Cooper Road, and the bridge on Britton Road.
11.00 ft: Flooding of low spots along Eastanallee Valley Road near Frank Shamblin Road.
9.50 ft: Stream is out of its banks. Substantial flooding of the back yard of a home between the Eastanallee Valley Road bridge and Coopers Road. Flooding begins of low spot on Britton Road near the bridge on the west side.
8.00 ft: At or above bankfull in places.
2.22 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.85 ft	February 7, 2020
2	9.72 ft	February 24, 2019
3	9.50 ft	December 26, 2015
4	9.20 ft	April 13, 2020
5	8.80 ft	November 29, 2011
6	8.53 ft	January 7, 2009
7	8.34 ft	December 3, 2015
8	8.34 ft	January 16, 2013
9	8.22 ft	January 31, 2013
10	8.21 ft	December 29, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 71° 41° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 73° 43° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 73° 45° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 75° 45° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 73° 47° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 72° 46° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 72° 45° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:51 AM Sunset 06:57 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sewee Creek near DecaturRiver gauge, Sewee Creek	0.28 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	18 mi
Tellico River at Tellico PlainsRiver gauge, Tellico River	58.6 cfs	Normal	−1.4 cfs	24 mi
Wolftever Creek near OoltewahRiver gauge, Wolftever Creek	15.7 cfs	High	−0.7 cfs	27 mi
Ocoee River at CopperhillRiver gauge, Ocoee River	221 cfs	Very low	−4.0 cfs	30 mi
Mill Creek near CrandallRiver gauge, Mill Creek	1.09 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	31 mi
Conasauga River at GA 286, near EtonRiver gauge, Conasauga River	2.29 ft	Low	±0	36 mi
South Chickamauga Creek near ChickamaugaRiver gauge, South Chickamauga Creek	3.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	36 mi
South Chickamauga Creek at RinggoldRiver gauge, South Chickamauga Creek	3.65 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	37 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Oostanaula Creek near Sanford?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 6.78 ft below it.

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 Oostanaula Creek near Sanford today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT, the water level was 2.22 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Oostanaula Creek near Sanford rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Oostanaula Creek near Sanford normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Oostanaula Creek near Sanford?

The highest level on record is 9.85 ft on February 7, 2020.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03565500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.32763, -84.70511 (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	2.22 ft	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional
Flow	21.1 cfs	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Oostanaula Creek near Sanford (usgs:03565500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/tennessee/oostanaula-creek-near-sanford

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