Satilla River near Waycross water level

Name: Satilla River near Waycross 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, Satilla River, Georgia, United States

Directions

Very high for mid-October

Water level

14.82ft Down 0.31 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 06:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 4,180 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

The forecast expects the river to fall to 12.60 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:07 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Satilla River near Waycross is well above normal at 14.82 ft.

That puts it 9.49 ft above the median of 5.33 ft for mid-October, based on 25 years of readings. It is 1.18 ft below the flood stage of 16.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 5.75 ft (+9.07 ft).

It has dropped 0.31 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 12.60 ft by Friday, October 23 at 08:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 5.41 ft and 15.80 ft.

Compared with 25 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 5.33 ft9.49 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.85 ft – 11.07 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (25 years of records)
Same day last year: 5.75 ft+9.07 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 5.41 ft – 15.80 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 4.20 ft – 17.20 ft
Highest on record: 22.40 ftApril 4, 1948
Forecast peak: 14.90 ftSunday, October 18 at 02:00 PM

Flood levels and safety

Most flood deaths in the US happen in vehicles. Six inches of fast water can knock an adult off their feet, and a foot or two can float a car. If a road is covered, turn around.

Readings can change quickly after heavy rain upstream, so check again before heading near the water.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Effects railroad bridge. Rail traffic must be rerouted. On the Pierce County side, low lying roads are flooded and homes are threatened in the Riverwoods Drive community and in the Okefenokee Country Club.
18.00 ft: On the Pierce County side, the Okefenokee Country Club Golf Course is generally closed. Riverwoods Drive low lying properties begin to flood.
17.00 ft: On the Ware County side, the Jamestown Road Boat Ramp parking lot and access road is flooded and Simmons Trail is flooded cutting off one residence. On the Pierce County side, the Okefenokee Country Club Course Holes 14 through 16 begin to flood.
16.00 ft: Flooding of agriculture and timberlands begins. On the Ware County side, the Jamestown Road Boat Ramp is flooded. On the Pierce/Brantley county line at the State Road 121 Bridge the boat ramp and dirt access roads are flooded.
14.82 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 7 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.40 ft	April 4, 1948
2	22.36 ft	April 5, 2009
3	22.20 ft	May 1, 1928
4	21.52 ft	March 6, 1991
5	20.29 ft	March 10, 1984
6	20.23 ft	March 12, 1998
7	20.10 ft	December 8, 1964
8	20.03 ft	February 13, 1986
9	19.77 ft	February 2, 1991
10	19.72 ft	April 8, 1960

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 66° 50° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 69° 50° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 75° 50° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 76° 53° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 77° 54° – Wind 5 mph

23 Fri 77° 55° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 77° 55° – Wind 14 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 11 hr, 21 min First quarter 54%

Map

Other gauges on the Satilla River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Satilla River at GA 158, near WaycrossRiver gauge, Satilla River	13.56 ft	Very high	−0.28 ft	15 mi
Satilla River at AtkinsonRiver gauge, Satilla River	14.11 ft	Flooding	+0.18 ft	27 mi
Satilla River at US 17, at WoodbineTidal gauge, Satilla River	3.33 ft	Flooding	+2.33 ft	40 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Alabaha River at GA 203, near BlackshearRiver gauge, Alabaha River	8.44 ft	Very high	−0.29 ft	10 mi
Little Satilla River near OffermanRiver gauge, Little Satilla River	8.40 ft	Very high	+0.09 ft	22 mi
St Marys River at Ferry Landing near FolkstonRiver gauge, St Marys River	5.30 ft	Below flood stage	−0.72 ft	36 mi
Suwannee River above FargoRiver gauge, Suwannee River	9.79 ft	High	−0.27 ft	39 mi
Altamaha River at DoctortownRiver gauge, Altamaha River	5.31 ft	Normal	−0.21 ft	41 mi
Suwannee River at US 441, at FargoRiver gauge, Suwannee River	7.76 ft	High	−0.26 ft	41 mi
St Mary's River at I-95, near KingslandTidal gauge, St Mary's River	2.92 ft	No reference yet	+1.78 ft	52 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Satilla River near Waycross compare with last year?

It is 9.07 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.75 ft.

What is flood stage for the Satilla River near Waycross?

The official flood stage is 16.00 ft. The level is currently 1.18 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Satilla River near Waycross in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.33 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.85 ft and 11.07 ft, based on 25 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 Satilla River near Waycross today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 06:30 PM EDT, the water level was 14.82 ft. Down 0.31 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Satilla River near Waycross rising or falling?

Down 0.31 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.42 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Satilla River near Waycross normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 25 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:02226500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 31.23844, -82.32283 (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	14.82 ft	2026-10-18 22:30	Provisional
Flow	4,180 cfs	2026-10-18 22:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Satilla River near Waycross (usgs:02226500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/satilla-river-near-waycross

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