Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near Buford water level

Name: Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near Buford 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, Chattahoochee River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

-0.58ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT (32 min ago)

Flow: 598 cfs
Water temperature: 52 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near Buford: the gauge reads −0.58 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is −0.17 ft, based on 33 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.41 ft below typical. It is 12.58 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.12 ft, a difference of −0.70 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The water temperature at the gauge is 52 °F.

Compared with 33 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: −0.17 ft0.41 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: −0.55 ft – 0.87 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (33 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.12 ft−0.70 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: −0.58 ft – 3.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: −0.53 ft – 0.61 ft
Highest on record: 7.88 ftOctober 22, 1971

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding begins on the river just downstream from Buford Dam. This will primarily affect the woodlands in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Portions of Little Mill Road leading to a park near the dam will begin to flood.
10.00 ft: Bankfull conditions continue on the river just downstream from Buford Dam. Some low lying areas near the banks will begin to flood in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
8.00 ft: Bankfull conditions occur on the river just downstream from Buford Dam.
−0.58 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.88 ft	October 22, 1971
2	7.76 ft	October 10, 1972
3	7.41 ft	November 2, 1978
4	7.30 ft	June 29, 1976
5	7.30 ft	September 4, 1975

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 74° 44° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 73° 49° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 77° 50° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 73° 49° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 70° 48° – Wind 12 mph

25 Sun 71° 45° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 72° 45° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:57 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Chattahoochee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chattahoochee River at HelenRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	0.40 ft	Low	±0	43 mi
Chattahoochee River near LeafRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	1.37 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	38 mi
Chattahoochee River near CorneliaRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	0.15 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	37 mi
Chattahoochee River near BufordRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	5.66 ft	No reference yet	−0.02 ft	2.3 mi
Chattahoochee River near NorcrossRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	1.94 ft	Very low	+0.10 ft	13 mi
Chattahoochee River above RoswellRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	3.06 ft	Low	+0.38 ft	18 mi
Chattahoochee River at Morgan Falls DamReservoir, Chattahoochee River	864.51 ft	Low	−0.35 ft	22 mi
Chattahoochee River below Morgan Falls DamRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	811.30 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	22 mi
Chattahoochee River at US 41, at AtlantaRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	4.32 ft	Low	−0.10 ft	29 mi
Chattahoochee River at AtlantaRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	2.97 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	30 mi
Chattahoochee River at GA 280, near AtlantaRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	4.26 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	33 mi
Chattahoochee River near FairburnRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	0.28 ft	Low	−0.12 ft	49 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Chattahoochee River Buford Dam near BufordRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River Buford Dam	912.14 ft	Very low	±0	0.4 mi
Lake Sidney Lanier near BufordLake, Lake Sidney Lanier	1,063.39 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	0.4 mi
Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near BufordRiver gauge, Richland Creek	0.55 ft	High	−0.05 ft	1.7 mi
Level Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near SuwaneeRiver gauge, Level Creek	3.59 ft	High	−0.01 ft	4.2 mi
Dick Creek at Old Atlanta Road, near SuwaneeRiver gauge, Dick Creek	6.33 ft	Very high	−0.04 ft	7 mi
Chattahoochee R 0.76 Mi Us McGinnis Fy SuwaneeRiver gauge	1.73 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	7 mi
Ivy Creek at Thompson Mill Road, near BufordRiver gauge, Ivy Creek	1.87 ft	Normal	±0	8 mi
Big Creek at GA 9, near CummingRiver gauge, Big Creek	−0.43 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	8 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near Buford higher than last year?

No, it is 0.70 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.12 ft.

What is flood stage for the Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near Buford?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 12.58 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near Buford in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is −0.17 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between −0.55 ft and 0.87 ft, based on 33 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 Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near Buford today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:15 PM EDT, the water level was −0.58 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near Buford rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.33 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near Buford normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 33 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:02334430 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.15667, -84.07842 (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	−0.58 ft	2026-10-20 21:15	Provisional
Flow	598 cfs	2026-10-20 21:15	Provisional
Water temperature	52 °F	2026-10-20 21:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near Buford (usgs:02334430). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/chattahoochee-river-at-buford-dam-near-buford

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