Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near Decatur water level

Name: Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near Decatur 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, Cobbs Creek, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.58ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 2.6 cfs
Water temperature: 57 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

At 1.58 ft, Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near Decatur is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.19 ft below the median of 1.77 ft for mid-October, based on 11 years of readings. It is 9.42 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.63 ft (−0.05 ft).

The level has held steady 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 sensor also reports a water temperature of 57 °F.

Compared with 11 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.77 ft0.19 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.57 ft – 1.92 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (11 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.63 ft−0.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.54 ft – 2.43 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.54 ft – 2.46 ft
Highest on record: 13.32 ftOctober 11, 2020

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 11.00 ft, still 9.42 ft away.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Widespread inundation flooding occurs in the residential yards and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from Rainbow Drive. The flood waters will be 2 to 3 feet over the bridge and road. County officials will have the road closed. The water will be up to 14 feet deep in portions of backyards of several homes off Kings Park Circle...Rainover Drive...Rainshower Drive and Calumet Road. Several of the homes will be flooded with 1 to 3 feet of water. The water level will enter the USGS gage house.
20.00 ft: Major flooding begins with widespread inundation of the residential yards and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from Rainbow Drive. The flood waters will top the bridge and be around one foot deep over the road. County officials will close the bridge. The water will be up to 12 feet deep in portions of backyards of several homes off Kings Park Circle...Rainover Drive...Rainshower Drive and Calumet Road. Some of the homes will begin to flood.
19.00 ft: Significant flooding continues to expand into the residential yards and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from Rainbow Drive. The water level will be hitting the bridge and begin to flood the road. County officials will likely close the bridge. Flood waters will be up to 10 feet deep in portions of backyards of several homes off Kings Park Circle...Rainover Drive...Rainshower Drive and Calumet Road. The water level will reach the foundations of some of the homes.
17.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding occurs in the residential yards and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage at Rainbow Drive. The water level will be near the bottom of the bridge. Flood waters will be up to 8 feet deep in portions of backyards of several homes off Kings Park Circle...Rainover Drive...Rainshower Drive and Calumet Road.
15.00 ft: Minor flooding continues to expand into the residential yards and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the stream gage at Rainbow Drive. Flood waters will be up to 6 feet deep in portions of backyards of several homes off Kings Park Circle...Rainover Drive...Rainshower Drive and Calumet Road.
13.00 ft: Minor flooding continues in the residential yards and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the stream gage at Rainbow Drive. Flood waters will be from 1 to 4 feet deep in portions of backyards of a few homes off Kings Park Circle...Rainover Drive...Rainshower Drive and Calumet Road.
11.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding begins in the residential yards and woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the stream gage at Rainbow Drive. Flood waters will be from one to two feet deep in portions of backyards of a few homes off Kings Park Circle...Rainover Drive...Rainshower Drive and Calumet Road.
9.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached along the creek upstream and downstream from the stream gage at Rainbow Drive. Water will begin to flow into low portions of residential yards.
1.58 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.32 ft	October 11, 2020
2	12.80 ft	December 24, 2015
3	11.86 ft	March 6, 2024
4	11.81 ft	September 27, 2024

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:57 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near AtlantaRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	3.60 ft	Normal	±0	1.4 mi
Snapfinger Creek at Thompson Mill Road near LithoniaRiver gauge, Snapfinger Creek	3.27 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	2.5 mi
Doolittle Creek at Flat Shoals Road, near DecaturRiver gauge, Doolittle Creek	1.09 ft	Normal	±0	3.1 mi
South River at Flakes Mill Road near AtlantaRiver gauge, South River	2.01 ft	Low	±0	3.1 mi
Snapfinger Creek near DecaturRiver gauge, Snapfinger Creek	2.46 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	3.9 mi
South River at Bouldercrest Road at AtlantaRiver gauge, South River	2.32 ft	Below flood stage	±0	4.5 mi
Pole Bridge Creek at Evans Mill Road near LithoniaRiver gauge, Pole Bridge Creek	1.08 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	5.8 mi
South Fork Peachtree at Casa Drain, near ClarkstonRiver gauge, South Fork Peachtree	3.20 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

How does Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near Decatur compare with last year?

It is 0.05 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.63 ft.

What is flood stage for Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near Decatur?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 9.42 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near Decatur in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.77 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.57 ft and 1.92 ft, based on 11 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 Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near Decatur today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT, the water level was 1.58 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near Decatur rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near Decatur normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 11 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:02203873 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.70942, -84.23917 (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	1.58 ft	2026-10-21 03:30	Provisional
Flow	2.6 cfs	2026-10-21 03:30	Provisional
Water temperature	57 °F	2026-10-21 03:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near Decatur (usgs:02203873). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/cobbs-creek-at-rainbow-drain-near-decatur

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