Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near Auburn water level

Name: Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near Auburn 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, Wheeler Creek, Georgia, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.23ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 10:20 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 0.6 cfs
Water temperature: 58 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near Auburn: the gauge reads 1.23 ft, below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.03 ft below the median of 1.26 ft for mid-October, based on 24 years of readings. It is 4.77 ft below the flood stage of 6.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 1.22 ft (+0.01 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.

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 58 °F.

Compared with 24 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 1.26 ft0.03 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.21 ft – 1.33 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (24 years of records)
Same day last year: 1.22 ft+0.01 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.20 ft – 1.62 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.20 ft – 1.92 ft
Highest on record: 7.18 ftSeptember 21, 2002

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

For reference, flood stage is 6.00 ft.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Major flooding continues with widespread inundation of the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Bill Cheek Road. Flood waters around two feet deep top the bridge and road with a washout likely. County officials will have it closed. Large portions of residential backyards will be under 6 feet of water. The water reaches the bottom of the USGS gage house which may affect data transmission.
12.00 ft: Major flooding begins with widespread inundation of the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Bill Cheek Road. Flood waters top the bridge and road with a possible washout. County officials will likely have it closed. Large portions of residential backyards will be under 4 feet of water.
11.00 ft: Significant flooding expands into the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Bill Cheek Road. The water level continues to hit the bridge and erosion is likely to the sides of the road bed. County officials may close it. Portions of residential backyards will be under 3 feet of water.
10.00 ft: Significant flooding continues in the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Bill Cheek Road. The water level will begin to hit the bridge and may cause erosion to the sides of the road bed. County officials may close it. Portions of residential backyards will be under two feet of water.
9.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding occurs in the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Bill Cheek Road. The water level will reach the bottom of the bridge and county officials may close it. Portions of residential backyards will be under a foot of water.
8.00 ft: Minor flooding expands into the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Bill Cheek Road. Portions of residential backyards will begin to flood.
7.00 ft: Minor flooding continues in the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Bill Cheek Road.
6.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding begins in the woodlands along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Bill Cheek Road.
4.50 ft: Bankfull conditions occur along the creek upstream and downstream from the gage on Bill Cheek Road.
1.23 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.18 ft	September 21, 2002
2	6.46 ft	September 14, 2004
3	6.44 ft	July 7, 2022
4	6.20 ft	June 17, 2003
5	4.23 ft	June 25, 1997

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 74° 41° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 73° 48° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 78° 49° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 73° 47° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 71° 46° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 71° 46° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 73° 43° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:46 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 11 hr, 9 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Apalachee River at Fence Road, near DaculaRiver gauge, Apalachee River	0.32 ft	Normal	±0	5.5 mi
Ivy Creek at Thompson Mill Road, near BufordRiver gauge, Ivy Creek	1.87 ft	Normal	+0.01 ft	5.8 mi
Mulberry Creek near WinderRiver gauge, Mulberry Creek	−1.81 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Alcovy River near LawrencevilleRiver gauge, Alcovy River	−0.45 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	9 mi
Wildcat Creek near LawrencevilleRiver gauge, Wildcat Creek	0.82 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	10 mi
Shoal Creek at Paper Mill Road, near LawrencevilleRiver gauge, Shoal Creek	1.08 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Alcovy River at New Hope Road, near GraysonRiver gauge, Alcovy River	2.06 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	12 mi
Wolf Creek Tributary at Dean Road, near SuwaneeRiver gauge, Wolf Creek Tributary	1.88 ft	Normal	±0	12 mi

Questions and answers

How does Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near Auburn compare with last year?

It is 0.01 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.22 ft.

What is flood stage for Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near Auburn?

The official flood stage is 6.00 ft. The level is currently 4.77 ft below it.

What is a normal level for Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near Auburn in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.26 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.21 ft and 1.33 ft, based on 24 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 Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near Auburn today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 10:20 PM EDT, the water level was 1.23 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near Auburn rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near Auburn normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 24 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:02217274 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.08222, -83.85444 (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	1.23 ft	2026-10-21 02:20	Provisional
Flow	0.6 cfs	2026-10-21 02:20	Provisional
Water temperature	58 °F	2026-10-21 02:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/12605?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near Auburn water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near Auburn (usgs:02217274). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/wheeler-creek-at-bill-cheek-road-near-auburn

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