Middle Oconee River near Athens water level

Name: Middle Oconee River near Athens 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, Middle Oconee River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

0.94ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:30 PM EDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 102 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 0.90 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:27 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Middle Oconee River near Athens is running below normal at 0.94 ft.

The median for mid-October is 1.21 ft, based on 27 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.27 ft below typical. It is 17.06 ft below the flood stage of 18.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 0.88 ft, a difference of +0.06 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.90 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 0.69 ft and 2.35 ft.

Compared with 27 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.21 ft0.27 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 0.80 ft – 1.72 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (27 years of records)
Same day last year: 0.88 ft+0.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 0.69 ft – 2.35 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 0.65 ft – 4.36 ft
Highest on record: 25.50 ftFebruary 28, 1902
Forecast peak: 0.90 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Middle Oconee River near Athens

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

Flood stage here is 18.00 ft, 17.06 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Many streets and homes will flood in West Athens. Estimated record crest around 22 feet occurred February 28...1902.
21.00 ft: Moderate flooding expands. Many basements and yards and some streets are flooded in residential areas bordering the river in West Athens.
20.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Flood waters flow from behind Beechwood to the Macon Highway Bridge. One street in West Athens is usually flooded at 20 feet.
18.00 ft: Flood Stage is reached. Residential yards are flooded in West Athens.
15.00 ft: Bankfull Stage is reached.
0.94 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	25.50 ft	February 28, 1902
2	23.60 ft	March 5, 1929
3	23.00 ft	August 19, 1939
4	21.30 ft	October 2, 1929
5	21.20 ft	February 5, 1998
6	20.84 ft	March 8, 1990
7	20.84 ft	March 18, 1990
8	20.62 ft	May 30, 1976
9	20.54 ft	January 21, 1969
10	20.30 ft	August 14, 1940

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 71° 41° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 75° 42° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 75° 45° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 78° 48° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 74° 48° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 70° 48° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 69° 45° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 11 hr, 14 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Middle Oconee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Middle Oconee River near ArcadeRiver gauge, Middle Oconee River	2.10 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	10 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Oconee River at College St, at AthensRiver gauge, North Oconee River	3.63 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	3.0 mi
Apalachee River near BostwickRiver gauge, Apalachee River	1.43 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	11 mi
Parks Creek at Lyle Field Road near JeffersonRiver gauge, Parks Creek	2.97 ft	Normal	+0.03 ft	16 mi
Oconee River near PenfieldRiver gauge, Oconee River	2.84 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	17 mi
Mulberry Creek near WinderRiver gauge, Mulberry Creek	−1.80 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	18 mi
North Oconee River at Woodbridge Road, near CommerceRiver gauge, North Oconee River	1.64 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	18 mi
Grove Creek at US 441 and GA 15 near CommerceRiver gauge, Grove Creek	6.59 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	22 mi
Broad River above CarltonRiver gauge, Broad River	0.72 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	26 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Middle Oconee River near Athens higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.06 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.88 ft.

What is flood stage for the Middle Oconee River near Athens?

The official flood stage is 18.00 ft. The level is currently 17.06 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 1.21 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.80 ft and 1.72 ft, based on 27 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 Middle Oconee River near Athens today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:30 PM EDT, the water level was 0.94 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Middle Oconee River near Athens rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.84 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Middle Oconee River near Athens normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 27 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:02217500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.94667, -83.42278 (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	0.94 ft	2026-10-19 22:30	Provisional
Flow	102 cfs	2026-10-19 22:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Middle Oconee River near Athens (usgs:02217500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/middle-oconee-river-near-athens

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