Snapfinger Creek near Decatur water level

Name: Snapfinger Creek 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, Snapfinger Creek, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.46ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 AM EDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 3.9 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

At 2.46 ft, Snapfinger Creek near Decatur is below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.20 ft below the median of 2.67 ft for mid-October, based on 14 years of readings. It is 9.54 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 3.11 ft (−0.65 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.39 ft and 4.42 ft.

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 55 °F.

Compared with 14 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.67 ft0.20 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.41 ft – 3.17 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (14 years of records)
Same day last year: 3.11 ft−0.65 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.39 ft – 4.42 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.39 ft – 4.84 ft
Highest on record: 18.00 ftSeptember 21, 2009

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 12.00 ft, still 9.54 ft away.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: Major flooding begins with widespread inundation of homes and roads in the Redan...South Indian Creek Drive and Rowland Road area. Extensive erosion of the banks near bridges will likely cause washouts as the water flow hits the structures. The water level will be near the foundation of Fire Station Number 24 with the access road and parking lot under a few feet of water.
19.00 ft: Significant flooding continues to expand upstream and downstream from the gage on Redan Road. Several homes off South Indian Creek Drive and Rowland Road will be flooded. Low portions of Redan Road will be flooded as the water level comes up over the road. Erosion of the banks near the bridge will be likely as the water flow hits the structure. Most of the parking lot next to Fire Station Number 24 will be completely flooded.
17.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins to expand into the woodlands and yards near the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Redan Road. This will primarily affect locations off South Indian Creek Drive and Rowland Road with the water beginning to flood some homes. A small park will be completely flooded off Rowland Road. Portions of Redan Road will have standing water due to poor drainage as the water level reaches the bottom of the bridge. The parking lot next to Fire Station Number 24 will begin to flood.
14.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding will occur in portions of the woodlands and yards near the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Redan Road. This will primarily affect locations off South Indian Creek Drive and Rowland Road upstream from the gage. Flooding will expand in the park near the creek next to Rowland Road...and portions of Redan Road will have standing water due to poor drainage.
12.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding will occur in portions of the woodlands and yards near the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Redan Road. This will primarily affect locations off South Indian Creek Drive and Rowland Road upstream from the gage. A park near the creek off of Rowland Road will begin to flood. The drain pipes under the bridge at Redan Road will no longer function properly...which will cause drainage water to backup on low portions of the road.
10.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached upstream and downstream from the stream gage at Redan Road near the South Indian Creek Drive intersection. The water level will reach the drain pipes under the bridge on Redan Road.
2.46 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.00 ft	September 21, 2009
2	16.64 ft	October 11, 2020
3	15.14 ft	December 24, 2015
4	14.14 ft	September 27, 2024
5	13.80 ft	February 3, 2016
6	13.57 ft	March 6, 2024
7	13.41 ft	December 28, 2018
8	13.14 ft	April 19, 2019
9	12.84 ft	January 21, 2012
10	12.81 ft	May 3, 2021

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 67° 49° – Wind 17 mph

18 Sun 65° 46° – Wind 15 mph

19 Mon 72° 43° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 77° 55° – Wind 3 mph

21 Wed 77° 57° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 77° 56° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 76° 56° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on Snapfinger Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Snapfinger Creek at Thompson Mill Road near LithoniaRiver gauge, Snapfinger Creek	3.28 ft	Normal	±0	4.8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork Peachtree at Casa Drain, near ClarkstonRiver gauge, South Fork Peachtree	3.19 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	3.6 mi
Cobbs Creek at Rainbow Drain, near DecaturRiver gauge, Cobbs Creek	1.59 ft	Low	±0	3.9 mi
Burnt Fork Creek at Millwood Way near ClarkstonRiver gauge, Burnt Fork Creek	1.15 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	5.1 mi
Shoal Creek at Columbia Drive near AtlantaRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	3.60 ft	Normal	±0	5.2 mi
Stone Mountain Creek at Silver Hill Road, near Stone MountainRiver gauge, Stone Mountain Creek	1.83 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	5.4 mi
Burnt Fork Creek at Montreal Road, near TuckerRiver gauge, Burnt Fork Creek	0.96 ft	Low	±0	5.4 mi
Doolittle Creek at Flat Shoals Road, near DecaturRiver gauge, Doolittle Creek	1.10 ft	Normal	±0	5.7 mi
Little Stone Mountain Creek near Stone MountainRiver gauge, Little Stone Mountain Creek	2.27 ft	Below flood stage	±0	7 mi

Questions and answers

How does Snapfinger Creek near Decatur compare with last year?

It is 0.65 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 3.11 ft.

What is flood stage for Snapfinger Creek near Decatur?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 9.54 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Snapfinger Creek near Decatur in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.67 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.41 ft and 3.17 ft, based on 14 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 Snapfinger Creek near Decatur today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:15 AM EDT, the water level was 2.46 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Snapfinger Creek near Decatur rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Snapfinger Creek near Decatur normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 14 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:02203950 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.76322, -84.22036 (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	2.46 ft	2026-10-20 15:15	Provisional
Flow	3.9 cfs	2026-10-20 15:15	Provisional
Water temperature	55 °F	2026-10-20 15:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Snapfinger Creek near Decatur (usgs:02203950). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/snapfinger-creek-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