Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near Hiawassee water level

Name: Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near Hiawassee 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, Hiwassee River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.40ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:45 PM EDT (59 min ago)

Flow: 29.1 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 2.40 ft, the Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near Hiawassee is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.82 ft, based on 19 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.42 ft below typical. It is 7.60 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.37 ft, a difference of +0.03 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.37 ft and 3.12 ft.

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

Compared with 19 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.82 ft0.42 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.35 ft – 3.44 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (19 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.37 ft+0.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.37 ft – 3.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.34 ft – 5.42 ft
Highest on record: 11.22 ftMay 30, 2018

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 10.00 ft, still 7.60 ft away.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Major flood stage is reached. Extensive flooding expands into fields and woodlands near the river. Numerous trailer homes in the Enchanted Valley Resort...around one mile downstream and on the right bank of the stream gage on Riverside Drive...will be flooded. Access roads in the resort will be flooded under at least two feet of water. Evacuations of most residents will be necessary. The water level will top Riverside Drive bridge and it will be closed by county officials.
12.00 ft: Moderate flood stage is reached. Flooding continues to expand into fields and woodlands near the river. Several trailer homes in the Enchanted Valley Resort...around one mile downstream and on the right bank of the stream gage on Riverside Drive...will have water beginning to get into the homes. Access roads in the resort will begin to flood. Evacuations of some residents may be necessary. The water level will reach the bottom of the Riverside Drive bridge and it may be closed by county officials.
11.00 ft: Minor flooding continues and expands into fields and woodlands near the river. Smaller creeks and tributaries flowing into the river begin to back up. Several trailer homes on the south end of the Enchanted Valley Resort will begin to have water under them and may damage some outbuildings or sheds.
10.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding of fields and woodlands occurs in the natural flood plain. The water level gets very close to trailer homes in the Enchanted Valley Resort on the right bank and downstream from the stream gage on Riverside Drive.
9.00 ft: Bankfull conditions continue with water beginning to spread into the natural flood plain. The high water begins to affect backyards of trailer homes near the river in the Enchanted Valley Resort.
8.00 ft: Bankfull is reached with rapidly moving high water.
2.40 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.22 ft	May 30, 2018
2	10.87 ft	August 17, 2021
3	10.85 ft	October 29, 2020
4	10.52 ft	March 26, 2021
5	10.40 ft	August 26, 2008
6	10.36 ft	December 29, 2015
7	10.14 ft	September 27, 2024
8	9.51 ft	October 2, 2012
9	9.00 ft	July 8, 2009
10	8.89 ft	November 28, 2011

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 62° 40° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 68° 41° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 74° 47° – Wind 4 mph

21 Wed 72° 50° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 73° 49° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 71° 49° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 66° 46° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:54 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Tallulah River near ClaytonRiver gauge, Tallulah River	1.77 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Nottely River near BlairsvilleRiver gauge, Nottely River	1.59 ft	Normal	±0	12 mi
Chattahoochee River at HelenRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	0.40 ft	Low	±0	13 mi
Nantahala River near Rainbow SpringsRiver gauge, Nantahala River	0.93 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	18 mi
Tiger Creek near LakemontRiver gauge, Tiger Creek	0.34 ft	Normal	±0	19 mi
Tallulah River at Terrora Pwrhse, near Tallulah FallsRiver gauge, Tallulah River	1.89 ft	Normal	±0	20 mi
Soque River at GA 197, near ClarkesvilleRiver gauge, Soque River	3.48 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	21 mi
Chattahoochee River near LeafRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River	1.37 ft	Low	±0	22 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near Hiawassee higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.03 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.37 ft.

What is flood stage for the Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near Hiawassee?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.60 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near Hiawassee in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.82 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.35 ft and 3.44 ft, based on 19 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 Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near Hiawassee today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:45 PM EDT, the water level was 2.40 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near Hiawassee rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.12 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near Hiawassee normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 19 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:03544970 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.88361, -83.72231 (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	2.40 ft	2026-10-21 02:45	Provisional
Flow	29.1 cfs	2026-10-21 02:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Hiwassee River at Riverside Drain, near Hiawassee (usgs:03544970). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/hiwassee-river-at-riverside-drain-near-hiawassee

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