Oostanaula River at Calhoun water level

Name: Oostanaula River at Calhoun 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 River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.48ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 07:15 PM EDT (30 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 2.48 ft, the Oostanaula River at Calhoun is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 3.57 ft, based on 31 years of readings, so the river stage is 1.09 ft below typical. It is 18.52 ft below the flood stage of 21.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.53 ft, a difference of −0.05 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 2.29 ft and 4.81 ft.

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

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.57 ft1.09 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.38 ft – 6.00 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.53 ft−0.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.29 ft – 4.81 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.24 ft – 13.54 ft
Highest on record: 34.15 ftFebruary 19, 1990

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 21.00 ft, still 18.52 ft away.

What happens at each level

37.00 ft: Near record flooding occurs with widespread innundation flooding in the woodlands...fields and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage behind the water treatment plant off Mauldin Road. Flood waters up to 8 feet deep will be affecting the athletic fields at the Harris River Park on Mauldin Road and additional athletic fields near the boat ramp off the Georgia Highway 136 Connector. The water level will reach the bottom of the North River Street bridge and begin to flood portions of the road.
35.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Widespread innundation flooding occurs in the woodlands...fields and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage behind the water treatment plant off Mauldin Road. Flood waters up to 6 feet deep will be affecting the athletic fields at the Harris River Park on Mauldin Road and additional athletic fields near the boat ramp off the Georgia Highway 136 Connector. The water level will be approaching the foundation of a textile mill in Calhoun.
34.00 ft: Significant flooding continues to expand further into the woodlands...fields and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage behind the water treatment plant off Mauldin Road. A boat ramp and small parking lot on the upstream and right bank side of the Georgia Highway 136 Connector will be under at least 13 feet of water. Flood waters up to 4 feet deep will be affecting the athletic fields at the Harris River Park on Mauldin Road and additional athletic fields near the boat ramp.
32.00 ft: Significant flooding continues to expand into the woodlands...fields and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage behind the water treatment plant off Mauldin Road. A boat ramp and small parking lot on the upstream and right bank side of the Georgia Highway 136 Connector will be under at least 11 feet of water. Flood waters up to two feet deep will be affecting the athletic fields at the Harris River Park on Mauldin Road and additional athletic fields near the boat ramp.
30.00 ft: Moderate flooding beings. Significant flooding expands into the woodlands...fields and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage behind the water treatment plant off Mauldin Road. A boat ramp and small parking lot on the upstream and right bank side of the Georgia Highway 136 Connector will be under at least 9 feet of water. Flood waters will be approaching athletic fields at the Harris River Park on Mauldin Road and additional athletic fields near the boat ramp.
29.00 ft: Minor flooding continues to expand much further into the woodlands...fields and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage behind the water treatment plant off Mauldin Road. A boat ramp and small parking lot on the upstream and right bank side of the Georgia Highway 136 Connector will be under at least 8 feet of water. Flood water will begin to fill in low areas near athletic fields at the Harris River Park on Mauldin Road.
27.00 ft: Minor flooding continues to expand further into the woodlands...fields and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage behind the water treatment plant off Mauldin Road. A boat ramp and small parking lot on the upstream and right bank side of the Georgia Highway 136 Connector will be under at least 6 feet of water.
25.00 ft: Minor flooding continues to expand into the woodlands...fields and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage behind the water treatment plant off Mauldin Road. A boat ramp and small parking lot on the upstream and right bank side of the Georgia Highway 136 Connector will be under at least 4 feet of water.
23.00 ft: Minor flooding continues to expand into the woodlands...fields and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage behind the water treatment plant off Mauldin Road. A boat ramp and small parking lot on the upstream and right bank side of the Georgia Highway 136 Connector will be under at least 2 feet of water.
21.00 ft: Minor flooding begins of woodlands...fields and pastures upstream and downstream from the gage behind a water treatment plant off Mauldin Road. A boat ramp and portions of a small parking lot on the upstream and right bank side of the Georgia Highway 136 Connector will be under water.
18.00 ft: Bankfull is reached upstream and downstream from the river gauge behind the water treatment plant off Mauldin Road. The water level reaches the top of the boat ramp just upstream from the Georgia Highway 136 Connector or North River Street bridge.
2.48 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	34.15 ft	February 19, 1990
2	29.97 ft	December 28, 2015
3	29.71 ft	March 24, 1980
4	29.10 ft	January 6, 1982
5	28.12 ft	March 28, 2021
6	28.00 ft	February 24, 2019
7	25.74 ft	January 9, 2009
8	25.64 ft	February 9, 2020
9	25.57 ft	April 6, 2000
10	25.47 ft	May 9, 2013

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 69° 35° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 73° 41° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 77° 45° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 75° 46° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 76° 47° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 74° 49° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 73° 46° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:49 AM Sunset 07:02 PM Daylight 11 hr, 13 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Oostanaula River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Oostanaula River at ResacaRiver gauge, Oostanaula River	1.65 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	4.1 mi
Oostanaula River near RomeRiver gauge, Oostanaula River	3.84 ft	Low	−0.11 ft	18 mi
Oostanaula River at US 27, at RomeRiver gauge, Oostanaula River	2.22 ft	Very low	−0.09 ft	22 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Oothkalooga Creek at GA 53 Spur, at CalhounRiver gauge, Oothkalooga Creek	7.76 ft	Very high	±0	1.8 mi
Coosawattee River at Pine ChapelRiver gauge, Coosawattee River	0.81 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	7 mi
Coosawattee River near Pine ChapelRiver gauge, Coosawattee River	3.75 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	8 mi
Conasauga River at Sloan Bridge, below DaltonRiver gauge, Conasauga River	−0.54 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	8 mi
Conasauga River at TiltonRiver gauge, Conasauga River	2.32 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	10 mi
Armuchee Creek at Old Dalton Road, near RomeRiver gauge, Armuchee Creek	3.74 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	15 mi
Coosawattee River at CartersRiver gauge, Coosawattee River	4.06 ft	Low	+0.12 ft	16 mi
Coahulla Creek at Keiths Mill Road, near DaltonRiver gauge, Coahulla Creek	7.37 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	16 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Oostanaula River at Calhoun higher than last year?

No, it is 0.05 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.53 ft.

What is flood stage for the Oostanaula River at Calhoun?

The official flood stage is 21.00 ft. The level is currently 18.52 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Oostanaula River at Calhoun in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.57 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.38 ft and 6.00 ft, based on 31 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 Oostanaula River at Calhoun today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:15 PM EDT, the water level was 2.48 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Oostanaula River at Calhoun rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 1.53 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Oostanaula River at Calhoun normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 31 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:02387520 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.51889, -84.95444 (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	2.48 ft	2026-10-19 23:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Oostanaula River at Calhoun (usgs:02387520). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/oostanaula-river-at-calhoun

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