Chattahoochee River at Atlanta

The past week

What floods at each level

• 34 ft

  Record flooding never seen before occurs with both of the old wooden and concrete Paces Ferry Road bridges completely submerged. This catastropic and massive flood will affect numerous homes...businesses and restaurants on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive and Farmington Drive with up to 14 feet of water in some locations. Some of the buildings on the Lovett School campus will be flooded with up to 8 feet of water. Transportation in and out of the area will be impossible due to road closures.

• 32 ft

  Record flooding never seen before continues. Both of the old wooden and concrete Paces Ferry Road bridges will be flooded out. This catastropic and massive flood will affect numerous homes...businesses and restaurants on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive and Farmington Drive with up to 12 feet of water in some locations. A few buildings on the Lovett School campus will be flooded with up to 6 feet of water. Transportation in and out of the area will be nearly impossible due to road closures.

• 30 ft

  Record flooding never seen before occurs near the gage on Paces Ferry Road. The Old Paces Ferry Road wooden bridge will be flooded out. This catastropic and massive flood will affect numerous homes...businesses and restaurants on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive and Farmington Drive with up to 10 feet of water in some locations. A few buildings on the Lovett School campus will be flooded with up to 4 feet of water. Transportation in and out of the area will be nearly impossible due to road closures.

• 29 ft

  Record flooding occurs near the gage on Paces Ferry Road. Numerous homes on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive and Farmington Drive will be flooded with up to 9 feet of water. A restaurant near the Paces Ferry Road bridge will be under 7 feet of water as the flood waters hit the bridge. Flood waters will affect other businesses nearby. Some of the buildings on the Lovett School campus will be flooded with up to 3 feet of water. This will be worse than the epic flooding in September 2009.

• 28 ft

  Near record flooding occurs around the gage on Paces Ferry Road. Numerous homes on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive and Farmington Drive will be flooded with up to 8 feet of water. A restaurant near the Paces Ferry Road bridge will be under 6 feet of water as the flood waters hit the bridge. Flood waters will begin to enter other businesses nearby. Some of the buildings on the Lovett School campus will be flooded with two feet of water. This will be similar to the epic flooding in September 2009.

• 26 ft

  Extensive inundation flooding occurs around the gage on Paces Ferry Road. The water level will reach the bottom of the bridge. Numerous homes on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive...Paces Manor and Farmington Drive will be flooded with up to 6 feet of water. A restaurant near the bridge will be flooded with 4 feet of water. Flood waters will be approaching other businesses nearby and some of the buildings on the Lovett School campus. Around 3 miles downstream...a water treatment plant will begin to flood.

• 24 ft

  Widespread inundation flooding continues of residential yards and roads near the gage on Paces Ferry Road. The athletic fields and track at Lovett School will be flooded. Many homes on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive...Paces Manor and Farmington Drive will be flooded with up to 4 feet of water. A restaurant near the Paces Ferry Road bridge will be flooded with two feet of water. Around 3 miles downstream...half of a cement plant and most of a supply line railroad bridge will be flooded.

• 22 ft

  Major flooding expands with widespread inundation flooding of residential yards and roads near the gage on Paces Ferry Road. An athletic field at Lovett School will be under 9 feet of water. Several homes on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive...Paces Manor and Farmington Drive...and a restaurant parking lot near the bridge will be under two feet of water. The restaurant will begin to flood. Around 3 miles downstream...portions of a cement plant and supply line railroad bridge will be flooded.

• 20 ft

  Major flooding begins. Widespread inundation flooding occurs upstream and downstream from the gage on Paces Ferry Road. An athletic field at Lovett School and backyards of residential homes on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive...Paces Manor and Farmington Drive will be under 7 feet of water. Several homes...businesses and a restaurant parking lot and patio in this area will begin to flood. Around 3 miles downstream...portions of a cement plant and a supply line railroad bridge will begin to flood.

• 19 ft

  Significant flooding expands along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Paces Ferry Road. An athletic field at Lovett School and backyards of residential homes on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive...Paces Manor and Farmington Drive...and walking paths by a restaurant will be under 6 feet of water. Some homes in these areas will be flooded with around one foot of water.

• 18 ft

  Moderate flooding begins. Significant flooding of the woodlands along the river occurs upstream and downstream from the gage on Paces Ferry Road. An athletic field at Lovett School and backyards of residential homes on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive...Paces Manor and Farmington Drive...and walking paths by a restaurant will be under 5 feet of water. The flood waters will begin to reach the foundations of some homes in lower lying areas.

• 16 ft

  Minor flooding continues to expand into the woodlands along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Paces Ferry Road. Most of an athletic field at Lovett School...backyards of residential homes on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive...Paces Manor and Farmington Drive...and walking paths by a restaurant will be under 3 feet of water.

• 14 ft

  Flood stage is reached. Minor flooding begins in the woodlands along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Paces Ferry Road. Portions of an athletic field at Lovett School...backyards of residential homes on Cochise Drive...Paces Ferry Drive...Paces Manor and Farmington Drive...and walking paths by a restaurant will be under one foot of water.

• 12 ft

  Bankfull conditions occur along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on Paces Ferry Road. Low lying areas of residential yards on the Cobb County side of the river and an athletic field at Lovett School will begin to flood.

Highest crests on record

When the water runs low

• 750-850 cfs

  Minimum flow required at the intersection of the Chattahoochee River and Peachtree Creek for discharge of treated effluent to assimilate waste and ensure that water quality criteria will be met.

• 850-1000 cfs

  Minimum flow required to paddle the 3.5 mi stretch of the Chattahoochee River from Powers Ferry to West Palisades/Paces Mill (Metro Hooch). Minimum flow required to paddle the 56.2 mi stretch of the Chattahoochee River from Buford Dam to Sweetwater Creek (Metro Hooch).

• 1000-1500 cfs

  Advantageous for recreational opportunities and resources supported by the river as it flows through the Chattahoochee River National Recreational Area (from Buford Dam to Peachtree Creek).

• 1500-2000 cfs

  The 3.5 mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River from Powers Ferry to West Palisades/Paces Mill (Metro Hooch) is considered “low” for paddlers at this flow; however, rafts will not get stuck on rocks at this level. Habitat values for trout peak at river flows less than 2,000 cfs.

• 2000-12000 cfs

  Habitat values for trout decline at river flow increases from 2,000 cfs to 12,000 cfs.

• 2500-3500 cfs

  Lowest flow for the 3.5 mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River from Powers Ferry to West Palisades/Paces Mill (Metro Hooch) to be considered “optimal” for paddlers.

• 3500-5000 cfs

  Good surfing on the 3.5 mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River from Powers Ferry to West Palisades/Paces Mill (Metro Hooch).

• 5000-12000 cfs

  All rocks underwater. Lots of good sidesurfing holes on the 3.5 mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River from Powers Ferry to West Palisades/Paces Mill (Metro Hooch).

Flood map

See which streets and areas flood at each water level here. Open the flood map ↗

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