South Chickamauga Creek near Chickamauga water level

Name: South Chickamauga Creek near Chickamauga 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 Chickamauga Creek, Tennessee, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.93ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 111 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 09:45 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at South Chickamauga Creek near Chickamauga, where the gauge shows 3.93 ft.

It is 14.07 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM. The 30-day range is 3.92 ft – 4.17 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 29.29 ftMay 8, 2003
Forecast peak: 3.90 ftWednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 18.00 ft.

What happens at each level

30.00 ft: The airport is closed. Interstates 24 and 75 in East Ridge are impassable.
29.00 ft: The airport can still function at a reduced level. Access to the airport becomes difficult.
28.00 ft: Major flooding occurs in areas around the airport in Chattanooga. Several roads are blocked, including Highway 153 near Shepherd Road. Many homes in East Ridge are flooded, and some businesses affected.
27.00 ft: Homes on Arlena Circle (off Shallowford Road) are evacuated. Evacuations also take place at the Fountainbleau Apartments on Spring Creek Road in East Ridge.
24.00 ft: A few homes in the East Ridge area are flooded.
23.00 ft: Evacuations begin in some of the low lying areas around Spring Creek in the East Ridge area.
22.00 ft: Airport Road is closed to traffic. A couple of homes are slightly flooded near intersection of Mack Smith Road and May Street. Flooding becomes extensive around the north end of the airport.
21.00 ft: Mack Smith Road and Lovell Field Loop become impassable. Water begins to come onto Airport Road, just north of the terminal complex. West Chickamauga Creek increases to near a half mile wide in places, becoming hazardous to adjacent travel in East Ridge.
20.00 ft: Mack Smith Road is closed. Water crosses Lovell Field Loop, the access road around the north end of the airport runway.
19.00 ft: Water across Mack Smith Road begins to impede traffic. West Chickamauga Creek overflows its banks near the Georgia state line and inundates several roads and properties in the area.
18.00 ft: Water begins to cross Mack Smith Road in Catoosa County, Georgia. Flooding begins at golf courses near the confluence of South and West Chickamauga Creeks. West Chickamauga Creek begins to overflow its banks, as well.
16.00 ft: At 16 feet, water continues to spread into the natural floodplain near the levee, including an area where unsheltered individuals may be present. Water may be up to 1 feet deep.
3.93 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 19 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	29.29 ft	May 8, 2003
2	28.72 ft	February 17, 1990
3	28.70 ft	March 17, 1973
4	28.54 ft	September 22, 2009
5	27.73 ft	March 30, 1951
6	27.54 ft	March 29, 1994
7	26.83 ft	November 29, 1948
8	26.43 ft	December 27, 2015
9	25.93 ft	April 14, 2020
10	25.70 ft	December 19, 1961

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 73° 42° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 76° 45° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 73° 48° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 75° 47° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 72° 47° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 70° 46° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 70° 48° – Wind 3 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:52 AM Sunset 07:00 PM Daylight 11 hr, 7 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on South Chickamauga Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Chickamauga Creek at RinggoldRiver gauge, South Chickamauga Creek	3.65 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Chickamauga Creek at GA 146, near LakeviewRiver gauge, West Chickamauga Creek	0.82 ft	Low	+0.03 ft	3.9 mi
Chattanooga Creek at Ga193, near FlintstoneRiver gauge, Chattanooga Creek	3.01 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	8 mi
Wolftever Creek near OoltewahRiver gauge, Wolftever Creek	15.7 cfs	High	−2.9 cfs	9 mi
Mountain Creek near GlendaleRiver gauge, Mountain Creek	0.3 cfs	Low	±0	9 mi
Lookout Creek near New EnglandRiver gauge, Lookout Creek	3.41 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	17 mi
Mill Creek at DaltonRiver gauge, Mill Creek	4.16 ft	Normal	±0	20 mi
Sequatchie River near WhitwellRiver gauge, Sequatchie River	0.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	21 mi
Conasauga River at GA 286, near EtonRiver gauge, Conasauga River	2.29 ft	Low	±0	24 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for South Chickamauga Creek near Chickamauga?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 14.07 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 South Chickamauga Creek near Chickamauga today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM EDT, the water level was 3.93 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Chickamauga Creek near Chickamauga rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.21 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South Chickamauga Creek near Chickamauga normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Chickamauga Creek near Chickamauga?

The highest level on record is 29.29 ft on May 8, 2003.

Is South Chickamauga Creek near Chickamauga expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:03567500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 35.01389, -85.20941 (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	3.93 ft	2026-10-21 07:15	Provisional
Flow	111 cfs	2026-10-21 07:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Chickamauga Creek near Chickamauga (usgs:03567500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/tennessee/south-chickamauga-creek-near-chickamauga

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