Oconee River at Milledgeville
Flood levels
Official flood levels at this gauge: action stage begins at 20.0 ft; minor flooding begins at 22.0 ft; moderate flooding begins at 32.0 ft; major flooding begins at 38.0 ft.
| Action stage | 20.0 ft |
|---|---|
| Minor flooding | 22.0 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 32.0 ft |
| Major flooding | 38.0 ft |
Highest recorded crests
- 42.9 ft on Feb 25, 1961 (historic crest)
- 41.1 ft on Mar 9, 1998 (historic crest)
- 40.2 ft on Oct 2, 1989 (historic crest)
- 39.4 ft on Mar 3, 1971 (historic crest)
What the water does
National Weather Service impact statements for this gauge, in the Weather Service's own words.
| 20.0 ft | Bankfull conditions will occur upstream and downstream from the stream gage located on the right bank of the river around one half mile upstream from the Georgia Highway 22 and 24 bridge. The water level will reach the top of the boat ramp just downstream from the bridge. Cattle located on the flood plain and logging equipment near the river banks should be moved to higher ground. Sinclair Dam will likely have one gate open to reach this height. |
|---|---|
| 22.0 ft | Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding occurs upstream and downstream from the gage located around one half mile upstream from the Georgia Highway 22 and 24 bridge. Low lying portions of woodlands and pasture in the natural flood plain will begin to flood. This will include portions of the sidewalks in the Oconee River Greenway Park just downstream from the bridge. Sinclair Dam will have one to two gates open to reach this height. |
| 24.0 ft | Minor flooding continues upstream and downstream from the gage located around one half mile upstream from the Georgia Highway 22 and 24 bridge. The parking lot and portions of the Oconee River Greenway Park just downstream from the bridge will be flooded. Low lying areas of woodlands and pasture near the river will be flooded one to two feet deep. Sinclair Dam will likely have two gates open to reach this height. |
| 27.0 ft | Minor flooding continues in the woodlands and pasture upstream and downstream from the gage located around one half mile upstream from the Georgia Highway 22 and 24 bridge. The parking lot and the Oconee River Greenway Park just downstream from the bridge will be completely flooded with water several feet deep. Sinclair Dam will have three to four gates open to reach this height. |
| 30.0 ft | Minor flooding continues to expand further into the woodlands and pasture upstream and downstream from the gage near the Georgia Highway 22 and 24 bridge. Fishing Creek backs up and a few buildings along the creek will be flooded. Also Tanyard Branch Stream between East Thomas and East Charleston Streets in Milledgeville will flood. Sinclair Dam will likely have four to five gates open to reach this height. |
| 32.0 ft | Moderate flooding begins and expands further into the woodlands and pastures along the river. Fishing Creek continues to back up and spread further into woodland areas and covers some roads in low lying areas. Tanyard Branch Stream continues to flood. Sinclair Dam will likely have five gates open to reach this height. |
| 34.0 ft | Moderate flooding continues to expand further into the woodlands and pastures along the river. Fishing Creek continues to back up and spread further into woodland areas and cover some roads. Some structures near the creek will begin to flood. Tanyard Branch Stream continues to flood. Sinclair Dam will likely have six gates open to reach this height. |
| 36.0 ft | Significant flood continues with numerous roads closed in the east and south sides of Milledgeville near the river...and along Fishing Creek and Tanyard Branch Stream. Several structures will be flooded. Widespread flooding of woodlands and pastures near the river occurs. Sinclair Dam will likely have seven gates open to reach this height. |
| 38.0 ft | Major flooding begins with numerous roads closed in the east and south sides of Milledgeville near the river...and along Fishing Creek and Tanyard Branch Stream. Several structures will be flooded. Widespread flooding of woodlands and pastures near the river occurs. Sinclair Dam will likely have eight gates open to reach this height. |
| 43.0 ft | Record flooding begins with the water level just five feet below the bottom of the Georgia Highway 22 and 24 bridge. Widespread inundation flooding of roads and structures on the east side of Milledgeville near the river and along Fishing Creek and Tanyard Branch continues. Sinclair Dam will likely have around 14 gates open to reach this height. |
| 45.0 ft | Record flooding continues with the water level approaching the bottom of the Georgia Highway 22 and 24 bridge. The bridge will likely be closed by state officials. Widespread inundation flooding of roads and structures on the east side of Milledgeville near the river and along Fishing Creek and Tanyard Branch continues. Sinclair Dam will likely have around 17 gates open to reach this height. |
| 48.0 ft | Record flooding continues with the water level reaching the bottom of the Georgia Highway 22 and 24 bridge. The bridge will be closed by state officials. Widespread inundation flooding of roads and structures on the east side of Milledgeville near the river and along Fishing Creek and Tanyard Branch continues. Sinclair Dam will likely have around 20 gates open to reach this height. |
| 50.0 ft | Record flooding continues with the water level hitting the Georgia Highway 22 and 24 bridge. The bridge will become an obstacle and act like a dam causing some backwater and erosion eddies to the sides of the bridge. The bridge will be closed by state officials. Widespread inundation flooding of roads and structures on the east side of Milledgeville near the river and along Fishing Creek and Tanyard Branch will continue. Sinclair Dam will likely have around 22 gates open to reach this height. |
Forecast office: NWS Peachtree City · River Forecast Center: Southeast River Forecast Center.
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Nearby stations and gauges
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