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Oconee River near Penfield water level

River gauge, Oconee River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.91ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
186 cfs
0 10 20 Highest onrecord 26.90 ft Minor floodstage 13.00 ft

History

510ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Minor flood stage510ftOct 13Oct 18Oct 23Minor flood stage
510ftSep 20Sep 28Oct 6Oct 15Oct 23Minor flood stage510ftSep 20Oct 6Oct 23Minor flood stage
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage51015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
51015ftJanMarMayJulSepNov202651015ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.80 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:07 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Oconee River near Penfield is running below normal at 2.91 ft.

The median for mid-October is 3.74 ft, based on 25 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.83 ft below typical. It is 10.09 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.94 ft, a difference of −0.03 ft.

It has dropped 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.80 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 2.49 ft and 5.44 ft.

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
3.74 ft0.83 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.81 ft – 5.54 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year
2.94 ft−0.03 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.49 ft – 5.44 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.49 ft – 10.44 ft
Highest on record
26.90 ftMarch 6, 1929
Forecast peak
2.90 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Oconee River near Penfield

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

Flood stage here is 13.00 ft, 10.09 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

40.00 ft
Widespread major flooding occurs. Several buildings are flooded out and Highway 15 bridge floods.
27.00 ft
Major flooding begins. L.C. Curtis and Son Company offices flood.
22.00 ft
Moderate flooding expands. Several farm access roads begin to flood.
18.00 ft
Moderate flooding begins. Ward Road floods and cuts off access to L.C. Curtis and Son Sand and Gravel Company. Irrigation systems also begin to flood and need to be moved to higher ground.
17.00 ft
Minor flooding continues to expand into fields...woodlands and pastures near the river. The water level is very close to Ward Road on the right bank. Flood waters will be approaching irrigation systems and they may need to be moved to higher ground.
15.00 ft
Minor flooding continues to expand into fields...woodlands and pastures...mainly on the right bank of the river...upstream and downstream from the gage on the Georgia Highway 15 bridge.
13.00 ft
Flood Stage is reached. Minor flooding occurs along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on the Georgia Highway 15 bridge. The right bank begins to overflow into agricultural land and pastures with a foot or two of water.
11.00 ft
Bankfull conditions occur upstream and downstream from the gage on the Georgia Highway 15 bridge. Some low lying areas on the right bank just begin to overflow.
2.91 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: 19 %.

RankLevelDate
126.90 ftMarch 6, 1929
226.90 ftDecember 19, 1919
326.70 ftApril 9, 1936
425.92 ftOctober 1, 1989
522.59 ftFebruary 5, 1998
622.30 ftMarch 17, 1990
722.11 ftMarch 16, 1976
822.00 ftNovember 8, 1977
921.78 ftMarch 3, 1971
1021.53 ftDecember 31, 2015

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:56 PM Daylight 11 hr, 14 min First quarter 57%

Map

Other gauges on the Oconee River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Oconee River at MilledgevilleRiver gauge, Oconee River 7.07 ft Very low ±0 44 mi
Oconee River at Avant Mine, near OconeeRiver gauge, Oconee River 1.26 ft Low −0.02 ft 56 mi
Oconee River near OconeeRiver gauge, Oconee River 1.17 ft Low +0.01 ft 67 mi
Oconee River at DublinRiver gauge, Oconee River 1.33 ft Low −0.06 ft 85 mi
Oconee River near Mount VernonRiver gauge, Oconee River 0.69 ft Low −0.09 ft 113 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Apalachee River near BostwickRiver gauge, Apalachee River 1.45 ft Normal −0.03 ft 11 mi
Middle Oconee River near AthensRiver gauge, Middle Oconee River 0.95 ft Low −0.04 ft 17 mi
North Oconee River at College St, at AthensRiver gauge, North Oconee River 3.50 ft Very low −0.13 ft 18 mi
Little River at Newborn Road near NewbornRiver gauge, Little River 3.00 ft Very low ±0 24 mi
Kettle Creek near WashingtonRiver gauge, Kettle Creek 2.96 ft Very low −0.01 ft 25 mi
Middle Oconee River near ArcadeRiver gauge, Middle Oconee River 2.09 ft Normal −0.06 ft 26 mi
Alcovy River above CovingtonRiver gauge, Alcovy River 1.54 ft Low −0.13 ft 28 mi
Little River near EatontonRiver gauge, Little River 2.43 ft Very low −0.03 ft 29 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Oconee River near Penfield higher than last year?

No, it is 0.03 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.94 ft.

What is flood stage for the Oconee River near Penfield?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 10.09 ft below it.

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

The median for mid-October is 3.74 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.81 ft and 5.54 ft, based on 25 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 Oconee River near Penfield today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 AM EDT, the water level was 2.91 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Oconee River near Penfield rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 2.53 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Oconee River near Penfield normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 25 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:02218300 (Agency page)
Coordinates
33.72069, -83.29561 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 2.91 ft 2026-10-19 07:00 Provisional
Flow 186 cfs 2026-10-19 07:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Oconee River near Penfield (usgs:02218300). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/oconee-river-near-penfield

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