Coosawattee River at Carters water level

Name: Coosawattee River at Carters 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, Coosawattee River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

3.94ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 04:30 PM EDT (22 min ago)

Flow: 271 cfs
Water temperature: 70 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Coosawattee River at Carters is running below normal at 3.94 ft.

The median for mid-October is 4.28 ft, based on 26 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.34 ft below typical. It is 16.06 ft below the flood stage of 20.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 4.06 ft, a difference of −0.12 ft.

It has barely moved 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 70 °F.

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.28 ft0.34 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.93 ft – 6.06 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.06 ft−0.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.87 ft – 5.52 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.85 ft – 7.40 ft
Highest on record: 36.00 ftMarch 30, 1951

Floating and fishing near Coosawattee River at Carters

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

Flood stage here is 20.00 ft, 16.06 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

28.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Widespread inundation flooding occurs along the river and expands further into the woodlands and farmland downstream from the gage at Old U.S. Highway 411 and upstream to the recreation area by the gates of the Carters Reregulation Lake. The water level will reach the bottom of the bridge. Portions of the recreation area will be under 10 feet of water. The fishing piers will be under at least 11 feet of water.
26.00 ft: Significant flooding along the river expands further into the woodlands and farmland downstream from the gage at Old U.S. Highway 411 and upstream to the recreation area by the gates of the Carters Reregulation Lake. Portions of the recreation area will be under 8 feet of water. The fishing piers will be under at least 9 feet of water.
24.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding occurs along the river in the woodlands and farmland downstream from the gage at Old U.S. Highway 411 and upstream to the recreation area by the gates of the Carters Reregulation Lake. Portions of the recreation area will be under 6 feet of water. The fishing piers will be under at least 7 feet of water.
22.00 ft: Minor flooding along the river continues to expand in the woodlands and farmland downstream from the gage at Old U.S. Highway 411 and upstream to the recreation area by the gates of the Carters Reregulation Lake. Portions of the recreation area will be under 4 feet of water. The fishing piers will be under at least 5 feet of water.
21.00 ft: Minor flooding along the river continues to expand in the woodlands and farmland downstream from the gage at Old U.S. Highway 411 and upstream to the recreation area by the gates of the Carters Reregulation Lake. Portions of the recreation area will be under 3 feet of water. The fishing piers will be under at least 4 feet of water.
20.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding occurs along the river in the woodlands and farmland downstream from the gage at Old U.S. Highway 411 and upstream to the recreation area by the gates of the Carters Reregulation Lake. Portions of the recreation area will be under two feet of water. The fishing piers will be under at least 3 feet of water.
19.00 ft: Bankfull conditions along the river expand further into the woodlands and farmland downstream from the gage at Old U.S. Highway 411 and upstream to the recreation area by the gates of the Carters Reregulation Lake. Portions of the recreation area will be under a foot of water. The fishing piers will be under at least two feet of water.
18.00 ft: Bankfull conditions along the river continue in the woodlands and farmland downstream from the gage at Old U.S. Highway 411 and upstream to the gates of the Carters Reregulation Lake. Portions of the recreation area will begin to flood and the fishing piers will be under at least a foot of water.
17.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached in low lying areas of woodlands and farmland downstream from the gage at Old U.S. Highway 411 and upstream to the gates of the Carters Reregulation Lake. The fishing piers at the recreation area by the gates will begin to flood.
3.94 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	36.00 ft	March 30, 1951
2	33.30 ft	April 8, 1938
3	30.60 ft	November 19, 1906
4	29.50 ft	December 14, 1920
5	28.50 ft	January 21, 1922
6	20.69 ft	January 1, 2016

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 07:02 PM Daylight 11 hr, 14 min First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Coosawattee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Coosawattee River near EllijayRiver gauge, Coosawattee River	1.39 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	12 mi
Coosawattee River near Pine ChapelRiver gauge, Coosawattee River	3.74 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	8 mi
Coosawattee River at Pine ChapelRiver gauge, Coosawattee River	0.80 ft	Very low	−0.05 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Carters Lake Tailrace near CartersRiver gauge, Carters Lake Tailrace	690.21 ft	High	−0.03 ft	1.4 mi
Talking Rock Creek near HintonRiver gauge, Talking Rock Creek	0.81 ft	Normal	±0	7 mi
Holly Creek near ChatsworthRiver gauge, Holly Creek	1.09 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	9 mi
Mountaintown Creek at GA 282, near EllijayRiver gauge, Mountaintown Creek	2.98 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Conasauga River at Sloan Bridge, below DaltonRiver gauge, Conasauga River	−0.49 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	13 mi
Fausett Creek near Talking RockRiver gauge, Fausett Creek	1.44 ft	High	±0	13 mi
Conasauga River at TiltonRiver gauge, Conasauga River	2.37 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	14 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Coosawattee River at Carters higher than last year?

No, it is 0.12 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.06 ft.

What is flood stage for the Coosawattee River at Carters?

The official flood stage is 20.00 ft. The level is currently 16.06 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Coosawattee River at Carters in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.28 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.93 ft and 6.06 ft, based on 26 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 Coosawattee River at Carters today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:30 PM EDT, the water level was 3.94 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Coosawattee River at Carters rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Coosawattee River at Carters normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 26 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:02382500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.60381, -84.69578 (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	3.94 ft	2026-10-18 20:30	Provisional
Flow	271 cfs	2026-10-18 20:30	Provisional
Water temperature	70 °F	2026-10-18 20:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Coosawattee River at Carters (usgs:02382500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/coosawattee-river-at-carters

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