Yellow River at Milstead water level

Name: Yellow River at Milstead 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, Yellow River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.31ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT (52 min ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

The Yellow River at Milstead is at 5.31 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 5.32 ft, based on 16 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.01 ft below typical. It is 7.69 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 5.22 ft, a difference of +0.09 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 5.02 ft and 6.58 ft.

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

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

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.32 ft0.01 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 5.10 ft – 5.48 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (16 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.22 ft+0.09 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.02 ft – 6.58 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.95 ft – 8.96 ft

Floating and fishing near Yellow River at Milstead

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

Flood stage here is 13.00 ft, 7.69 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

23.00 ft: Major flooding expands further into the woodlands upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 20 or Loganville Highway. The bridge forms an obstacle and acts like a dam causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridge. Water begins to top the bridge and flood portions of the highway. It will be closed by local officials. Most of the service road leading to the Milstead Hydroelectric Plant will be flooded and water will begin to flood the plant.
21.00 ft: Major flooding begins and expands further into the woodlands upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 20 or Loganville Highway. The bridge forms an obstacle and acts like a dam causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridge. Water begins to cover the highway just south of the bridge and it will be closed by local officials. Portions of the service road leading to the Milstead Hydroelectric Plant will be flooded and water will be reaching the foundation of the plant.
19.00 ft: Moderate flooding continues to expand further into the woodlands near the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 20 or Loganville Highway. The bridge forms an obstacle and acts like a dam causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridge. The bridge will likely be closed by local officials. The service road on the right bank leading to the Milstead Hydroelectric Plant will begin to flood near the masonary dam which is around 1050 feet downstream from the bridge.
17.00 ft: Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding will continue to expand further into the woodlands upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 20 or Loganville Highway. The water level reaches the bottom of the bridge. This may cause local officials to close it due to possible erosion around the supports. The service road on the right bank leading to the Milstead Hydroelectric Plant will begin to flood near the masonary dam which is around 1050 feet downstream from the bridge.
15.00 ft: Minor flooding will continue to expand further into the woodlands upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 20 or Loganville Highway.
13.00 ft: Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding will occur in portions of the woodlands near the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Georgia Highway 20 or Loganville Highway.
11.00 ft: Bankfull conditions are reached upstream and downstream from the stream gage at Georgia Highway 20 bridge or Loganville Highway.
5.31 ft: Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:44 AM Sunset 07:00 PM Daylight 11 hr, 16 min First quarter 51%

Map

Other gauges on the Yellow River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yellow River near LuxomniRiver gauge, Yellow River	7.80 ft	Normal	−0.04 ft	15 mi
Yellow River near SnellvilleRiver gauge, Yellow River	5.51 ft	Normal	±0	12 mi
Yellow River at GA 124, near LithoniaRiver gauge, Yellow River	2.84 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	7 mi
Yellow River at Pleasant Hill Road, near LithoniaRiver gauge, Yellow River	1.18 ft	Low	−0.08 ft	4.7 mi
Yellow River at Gees Mill Road, near MilsteadRiver gauge, Yellow River	1.34 ft	Low	−0.05 ft	3.8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Big Haynes Creek at Jack Turner Dam, near MilsteadRiver gauge, Big Haynes Creek	2.28 ft	Normal	±0	4.3 mi
Randy Poynter Lake at Spillway, near MilsteadLake, Randy Poynter Lake	732.42 ft	Very low	−0.06 ft	4.3 mi
Big Haynes Creek at Bald Rock Road, near MilsteadRiver gauge, Big Haynes Creek	−0.32 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	4.5 mi
Little Haynes Creek at Dial Mill Road near MilsteadRiver gauge, Little Haynes Creek	3.02 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	4.9 mi
North Business Creek at Lee Road, below SnellvilleRiver gauge, North Business Creek	2.71 ft	Normal	−0.03 ft	6 mi
Swift Creek near LithoniaRiver gauge, Swift Creek	1.63 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	6 mi
Stone Mountain Creek at GA 124, near LithoniaRiver gauge, Stone Mountain Creek	3.43 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	7 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Yellow River at Milstead higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.09 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.22 ft.

What is flood stage for the Yellow River at Milstead?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 7.69 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Yellow River at Milstead in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.32 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.10 ft and 5.48 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 Yellow River at Milstead today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT, the water level was 5.31 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Yellow River at Milstead rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 1.27 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Yellow River at Milstead normal?

Normal for mid-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:02207300 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.69250, -83.99667 (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	5.31 ft	2026-10-18 16:30	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/7179?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Yellow River at Milstead water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Yellow River at Milstead (usgs:02207300). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/yellow-river-at-milstead

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