Alcovy River above Covington water level

Name: Alcovy River above Covington 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, Alcovy River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.55ft Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT (51 min ago)

Flow: 28.5 cfs
Water temperature: 61 °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 Alcovy River above Covington: the gauge reads 1.55 ft, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.11 ft, based on 28 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.56 ft below typical. It is 10.45 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1.80 ft, a difference of −0.25 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.17 ft 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 61 °F.

Compared with 28 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.11 ft0.56 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.22 ft – 5.12 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (28 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.80 ft−0.25 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.33 ft – 4.48 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.19 ft – 8.86 ft
Highest on record: 14.79 ftMarch 16, 1976

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

22.00 ft: Major flooding with widespread innundation expands further into the woodlands and fields near the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Alcovy Trestle Road. The water level reaches the top of the bridge with erosion likely to the road on either side of the bridge. Portions of Hamby Lane and Alcovy Trestle Road will be under two feet of water. The bridge and roads will be closed by local officials.
20.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Widespread innundation of water expands further into the woodlands and fields near the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Alcovy Trestle Road. The bridge forms an obstacle and acts like a dam causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridge. The intersection of Hamby Lane and Alcovy Trestle Road begins to flood. This may cause local officials to close it.
18.00 ft: Moderate flooding continues to expand further into the woodlands and fields near the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Alcovy Trestle Road. The bridge forms an obstacle and acts like a dam causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridge. The intersection of Hamby Lane and Alcovy Trestle Road begins to flood. This may cause local officials to close it.
16.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Flooding continues to expand further into the woodlands and fields near the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Alcovy Trestle Road. The water level is near the bottom of the bridge. This may cause local officials to close it due to possible erosion around the supports.
14.00 ft: Minor flooding continues of the natural flood plain and expands further into the woodlands along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Alcovy Trestle Road.
12.00 ft: Flood Stage is reached. Minor flooding begins of woodlands and the natural flood plain of the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Alcovy Trestle Road.
9.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Alcovy Trestle Road.
1.55 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.79 ft	March 16, 1976
2	14.40 ft	March 18, 1990
3	13.90 ft	October 5, 1995
4	13.73 ft	July 2, 2003
5	13.57 ft	April 21, 2019
6	13.34 ft	December 26, 2015
7	13.13 ft	January 11, 2024
8	13.10 ft	March 9, 1998
9	12.92 ft	February 8, 2020
10	12.51 ft	September 28, 2024

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:43 AM Sunset 06:59 PM Daylight 11 hr, 16 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Alcovy River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Alcovy River near LawrencevilleRiver gauge, Alcovy River	−0.41 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	25 mi
Alcovy River at New Hope Road, near GraysonRiver gauge, Alcovy River	2.04 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	20 mi
Alcovy River below CovingtonRiver gauge, Alcovy River	1.70 ft	Normal	−0.09 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cornish Creek at Hazelbrand Road near CovingtonRiver gauge, Cornish Creek	7.54 ft	Very high	−0.03 ft	1.4 mi
Little Cornish Creek County Road 95 near OxfordRiver gauge, Little Cornish Creek County Road 95	0.74 ft	Very high	+0.02 ft	4.0 mi
Cornish Creek at Lower Jersey Road, near CovingtonRiver gauge, Cornish Creek	0.85 ft	Low	±0	5.3 mi
Little River at Newborn Road near NewbornRiver gauge, Little River	3.00 ft	Very low	±0	9 mi
Big Haynes Creek at Bald Rock Road, near MilsteadRiver gauge, Big Haynes Creek	−0.30 ft	Very low	−0.06 ft	9 mi
East Bear Creek at Poplar Road, near MansfieldRiver gauge, East Bear Creek	0.79 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	9 mi
Little Haynes Creek at Dial Mill Road near MilsteadRiver gauge, Little Haynes Creek	3.02 ft	Low	−0.03 ft	9 mi
Yellow River at Gees Mill Road, near MilsteadRiver gauge, Yellow River	1.31 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Alcovy River above Covington higher than last year?

No, it is 0.25 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.80 ft.

What is flood stage for the Alcovy River above Covington?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 10.45 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Alcovy River above Covington in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.11 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.22 ft and 5.12 ft, based on 28 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 Alcovy River above Covington today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT, the water level was 1.55 ft. Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Alcovy River above Covington rising or falling?

Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 2.27 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Alcovy River above Covington normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 28 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:02208450 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.63939, -83.77842 (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	1.55 ft	2026-10-18 22:00	Provisional
Flow	28.5 cfs	2026-10-18 22:00	Provisional
Water temperature	61 °F	2026-10-18 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Alcovy River above Covington (usgs:02208450). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/alcovy-river-above-covington

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