Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near Atlanta water level

Name: Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near Atlanta 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, Shoal Creek, Georgia, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

3.60ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT (40 min ago)

Flow: 2.7 cfs
Water temperature: 55 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The gauge at Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near Atlanta reads 3.60 ft, a normal level for late October.

The median for late October is 3.61 ft, based on 16 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.01 ft below typical. It is 7.40 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.60 ft as well.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.55 ft and 4.81 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 55 °F.

Compared with 16 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.61 ft0.01 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.43 ft – 3.90 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (16 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.60 ft0.00 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.55 ft – 4.81 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.50 ft – 4.89 ft
Highest on record: 13.42 ftDecember 24, 2015

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 11.00 ft, still 7.40 ft away.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Major flooding begins with widespread inundation of the woodlands upstream and downstream from the gage on Columbia Drive. The water level will begin to cover portions of Columbia Drive and will likely cause extensive erosion to the banks as the water flow hits the bridge.
13.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding will expand into the woodlands upstream and downstream from the gage on Columbia Drive. The water level will be close to the bottom of the bridge.
11.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding will occur in the woodlands and natural flood plain of the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Columbia Drive.
9.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached upstream and downstream from the gage at Columbia Drive near the Flat Shoals Parkway intersection.
3.60 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.42 ft	December 24, 2015
2	13.21 ft	October 11, 2020
3	13.15 ft	September 27, 2024
4	11.91 ft	March 6, 2024
5	11.56 ft	April 19, 2019
6	11.34 ft	February 3, 2016

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 75° 44° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 77° 46° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 74° 54° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 72° 51° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 71° 51° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 73° 51° – Wind 8 mph

27 Tue 74° 55° – Wind 3 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:47 AM Sunset 06:57 PM Daylight 11 hr, 10 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Other gauges on Shoal Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Shoal Creek at Paper Mill Road, near LawrencevilleRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	1.07 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	25 mi
Shoal Creek at Shoal Creek Road, near GriffinRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	0.65 ft	Normal	±0	31 mi
Shoal Creek at Ga54, near SharpsburgRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	2.39 ft	Very high	±0	30 mi
Shoal Creek at GA 108, near WaleskaRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	2.09 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	44 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near DecaturRiver gauge, Cobbs Creek	1.58 ft	Low	±0	1.4 mi
Doolittle Creek at Flat Shoals Road, near DecaturRiver gauge, Doolittle Creek	1.09 ft	Normal	±0	2.4 mi
South River at Flakes Mill Road near AtlantaRiver gauge, South River	2.01 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	2.6 mi
Snapfinger Creek at Thompson Mill Road near LithoniaRiver gauge, Snapfinger Creek	3.28 ft	Normal	±0	3.2 mi
South River at Bouldercrest Road at AtlantaRiver gauge, South River	2.31 ft	Below flood stage	±0	3.2 mi
Snapfinger Creek near DecaturRiver gauge, Snapfinger Creek	2.45 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	5.2 mi
South River at Forrest Park Road, at AtlantaRiver gauge, South River	2.87 ft	Below flood stage	±0	6.1 mi
Pole Bridge Creek at Evans Mill Road near LithoniaRiver gauge, Pole Bridge Creek	1.07 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	6.2 mi

Questions and answers

Is Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near Atlanta higher than last year?

It is about the same as on this day last year, when the reading was 3.60 ft.

What is flood stage for Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near Atlanta?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 7.40 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near Atlanta in late October?

The median for late October is 3.61 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.43 ft and 3.90 ft, based on 16 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 Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near Atlanta today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:15 AM EDT, the water level was 3.60 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near Atlanta rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near Atlanta normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 16 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:02203863 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.69319, -84.25389 (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	3.60 ft	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Flow	2.7 cfs	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Water temperature	55 °F	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near Atlanta (usgs:02203863). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/shoal-creek-at-columbia-drive-near-atlanta

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