Swift Creek near Lithonia water level

Name: Swift Creek near Lithonia 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, Swift Creek, Georgia, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

1.67ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:30 PM EDT (53 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Swift Creek near Lithonia is at 1.67 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

That puts it 0.05 ft above the median of 1.62 ft for mid-October, based on 12 years of readings. It is 7.33 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.56 ft (+0.11 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.52 ft and 2.52 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 12 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.62 ft0.05 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.56 ft – 1.72 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (12 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.56 ft+0.11 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.52 ft – 2.52 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.51 ft – 3.01 ft

Floating and fishing near Swift Creek near Lithonia

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 9.00 ft, 7.33 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

21.00 ft: Major flooding continues with widespread inundation of the woodlands and grassy areas along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage behind a DeKalb County Pump Station off Rock Chapel Road. Flood waters will be up to 14 feet deep in the grassy areas. The water level will be around 7 feet above the center manhole cover of a sanitary sewer. The flood waters will begin to enter the pump station building and be around two feet deep over the paved area.
20.00 ft: Major flooding occurs with widespread inundation of the woodlands and grassy areas along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage behind a DeKalb County Pump Station off Rock Chapel Road. Flood waters will be up to 13 feet deep in the grassy areas. The water level will be around 6 feet above the center manhole cover of a sanitary sewer and be reaching the foundation of the pump station. The flood waters will be around one foot deep over the paved area around building.
19.00 ft: Major flooding begins. Widespread inundation occurs of the woodlands and grassy areas along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage behind a DeKalb County Pump Station off Rock Chapel Road. Flood waters will be up to 12 feet deep in the grassy areas. The water level will be around 5 feet above the center manhole cover of a sanitary sewer. The lowest portion of the paved area around the pump station will begin to flood.
18.00 ft: Significant flooding continues to expand into the woodlands and grassy areas along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage behind a DeKalb County Pump Station off Rock Chapel Road. Flood waters will be up to 11 feet deep in the grassy areas. The water level will be around 4 feet above the center manhole cover of a sanitary sewer. The lowest portion of the paved area around the pump station will begin to flood.
17.00 ft: Significant flooding continues to expand into the woodlands and grassy areas along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage behind a DeKalb County Pump Station off Rock Chapel Road. Flood waters will be up to 10 feet deep in the grassy areas. The water level will be around 3 feet above the center manhole cover of a sanitary sewer.
15.00 ft: Significant flooding continues in the woodlands and grassy areas along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage behind a DeKalb County Pump Station off Rock Chapel Road. Flood waters will be from 7 to 8 feet deep in the grassy areas. The water level will be around one foot above the center manhole cover of a sanitary sewer.
14.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding occurs in the woodlands and grassy areas along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage behind a DeKalb County Pump Station off Rock Chapel Road. Flood waters will be from 6 to 7 feet deep in the grassy areas. The water level will reach the top of the center manhole cover of a sanitary sewer.
13.00 ft: Minor flooding continues to expand further into woodlands and grassy areas along the creek upstream and downstream from the stream gage behind a DeKalb County Pump Station off Rock Chapel Road. Flood waters will be from 5 to 6 feet deep in the grassy areas.
11.00 ft: Minor flooding continues in the woodlands and grassy areas along the creek upstream and downstream from the stream gage behind a DeKalb County Pump Station off Rock Chapel Road. Flood waters will be from 3 to 4 feet deep in the grassy areas.
9.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding occurs in the woodlands and grassy areas along the creek upstream and downstream from the stream gage behind a DeKalb County Pump Station off Rock Chapel Road. Flood waters will be from 1 to 2 feet deep in the grassy areas.
7.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached upstream and downstream from the stream gage behind a DeKalb County Pump Station off Rock Chapel Road. Water begins to flow into low portions of the woodlands along the creek.
1.67 ft: Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 73° 41° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 73° 44° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 78° 52° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 74° 49° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 71° 47° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 72° 45° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 74° 45° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:58 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yellow River at Pleasant Hill Road, near LithoniaRiver gauge, Yellow River	1.18 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	1.7 mi
Stone Mountain Creek at GA 124, near LithoniaRiver gauge, Stone Mountain Creek	3.39 ft	Low	±0	1.7 mi
Yellow River at GA 124, near LithoniaRiver gauge, Yellow River	2.89 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	2.2 mi
North Business Creek at Lee Road, below SnellvilleRiver gauge, North Business Creek	2.72 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	3.3 mi
Jacks Creek at Brannan Road, near SnellvilleRiver gauge, Jacks Creek	0.84 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	5.5 mi
Yellow River at MilsteadRiver gauge, Yellow River	5.33 ft	Normal	±0	6 mi
Little Stone Mountain Creek near Stone MountainRiver gauge, Little Stone Mountain Creek	2.27 ft	Below flood stage	±0	6 mi
Pole Bridge Creek at Evans Mill Road near LithoniaRiver gauge, Pole Bridge Creek	1.09 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

How does Swift Creek near Lithonia compare with last year?

It is 0.11 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.56 ft.

What is flood stage for Swift Creek near Lithonia?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 7.33 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Swift Creek near Lithonia in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.62 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.56 ft and 1.72 ft, based on 12 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 Swift Creek near Lithonia today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:30 PM EDT, the water level was 1.67 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Swift Creek near Lithonia rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Swift Creek near Lithonia normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 12 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:02207200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.74886, -84.08442 (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	1.67 ft	2026-10-20 19:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Swift Creek near Lithonia (usgs:02207200). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/swift-creek-near-lithonia

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