Oconee River near Penfield water level

Name: Oconee River near Penfield 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, Oconee River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.86ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 02:00 PM EDT (19 min ago)

Flow: 175 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.80 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:27 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Oconee River near Penfield is running below normal at 2.86 ft.

The median for mid-October is 3.74 ft, based on 25 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.88 ft below typical. It is 10.14 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.94 ft, a difference of −0.08 ft.

It has dropped 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.80 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 2.49 ft and 5.44 ft.

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.74 ft0.88 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.81 ft – 5.54 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.94 ft−0.08 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.49 ft – 5.44 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.49 ft – 10.44 ft
Highest on record: 26.90 ftMarch 6, 1929
Forecast peak: 2.90 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Oconee River near Penfield

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 13.00 ft, 10.14 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

40.00 ft: Widespread major flooding occurs. Several buildings are flooded out and Highway 15 bridge floods.
27.00 ft: Major flooding begins. L.C. Curtis and Son Company offices flood.
22.00 ft: Moderate flooding expands. Several farm access roads begin to flood.
18.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Ward Road floods and cuts off access to L.C. Curtis and Son Sand and Gravel Company. Irrigation systems also begin to flood and need to be moved to higher ground.
17.00 ft: Minor flooding continues to expand into fields...woodlands and pastures near the river. The water level is very close to Ward Road on the right bank. Flood waters will be approaching irrigation systems and they may need to be moved to higher ground.
15.00 ft: Minor flooding continues to expand into fields...woodlands and pastures...mainly on the right bank of the river...upstream and downstream from the gage on the Georgia Highway 15 bridge.
13.00 ft: Flood Stage is reached. Minor flooding occurs along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on the Georgia Highway 15 bridge. The right bank begins to overflow into agricultural land and pastures with a foot or two of water.
11.00 ft: Bankfull conditions occur upstream and downstream from the gage on the Georgia Highway 15 bridge. Some low lying areas on the right bank just begin to overflow.
2.86 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	26.90 ft	March 6, 1929
2	26.90 ft	December 19, 1919
3	26.70 ft	April 9, 1936
4	25.92 ft	October 1, 1989
5	22.59 ft	February 5, 1998
6	22.30 ft	March 17, 1990
7	22.11 ft	March 16, 1976
8	22.00 ft	November 8, 1977
9	21.78 ft	March 3, 1971
10	21.53 ft	December 31, 2015

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.21 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 71° 41° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 76° 41° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 75° 46° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 78° 49° – Wind 3 mph

23 Fri 75° 49° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 71° 49° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 71° 47° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 11 hr, 14 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Oconee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Oconee River at MilledgevilleRiver gauge, Oconee River	7.08 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	44 mi
Oconee River at Avant Mine, near OconeeRiver gauge, Oconee River	1.27 ft	Low	±0	56 mi
Oconee River near OconeeRiver gauge, Oconee River	1.11 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	67 mi
Oconee River at DublinRiver gauge, Oconee River	1.28 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	85 mi
Oconee River near Mount VernonRiver gauge, Oconee River	0.63 ft	Low	−0.10 ft	113 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Apalachee River near BostwickRiver gauge, Apalachee River	1.44 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	11 mi
Middle Oconee River near AthensRiver gauge, Middle Oconee River	0.94 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	17 mi
North Oconee River at College St, at AthensRiver gauge, North Oconee River	3.64 ft	Low	±0	18 mi
Little River at Newborn Road near NewbornRiver gauge, Little River	3.01 ft	Very low	±0	24 mi
Kettle Creek near WashingtonRiver gauge, Kettle Creek	2.94 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	25 mi
Middle Oconee River near ArcadeRiver gauge, Middle Oconee River	2.13 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	26 mi
Alcovy River above CovingtonRiver gauge, Alcovy River	1.48 ft	Low	−0.13 ft	28 mi
Little River near EatontonRiver gauge, Little River	2.41 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Oconee River near Penfield higher than last year?

No, it is 0.08 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.94 ft.

What is flood stage for the Oconee River near Penfield?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 10.14 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Oconee River near Penfield in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.74 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.81 ft and 5.54 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 Oconee River near Penfield today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:00 PM EDT, the water level was 2.86 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Oconee River near Penfield rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 2.58 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Oconee River near Penfield 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:02218300 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.72069, -83.29561 (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	2.86 ft	2026-10-19 18:00	Provisional
Flow	175 cfs	2026-10-19 18:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Oconee River near Penfield (usgs:02218300). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/oconee-river-near-penfield

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