Etowah River at Canton
Georgia — Water Level & Flood Stage
Located in Cherokee County, Georgia on the Etowah River. Live water level data from USGS gauge 02392000, updated every 15 minutes.
Current Water Level
Gage Height
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Streamflow
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Last Reading
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Flood Stages
Major Flood
26 ft
32,000 cfs
Moderate Flood
22 ft
19,000 cfs
Minor Flood
16 ft
11,000 cfs
Action Stage
15 ft
10,000 cfs
Flood stages defined by the National Weather Service. Gage height data from USGS Water Resources.
What Floods at Each Level
31 ft
A catastropic flood never seen before inundates portions of the Canton infrastructure. The water treatment plant at Boling Park will be flooded. Some major and numerous primary roads...industrial buildings...businesses and a few homes will be flooded with 1 to 7 feet of water. The Georgia Power substation and the USGS gage house near the Waleska Street bridge and the railroad tracks in the city will be flooded with several feet of water. Water reaches the USGS gage instrument shelf causing a loss of data.
30 ft
Flooding never seen before causes a catastropic flood which inundates portions of the infrastructure of Canton. The water treatment plant near Boling Park will be flooded. Some major and numerous primary roads...industrial buildings and businesses will be flooded with 1 to 5 feet of water. The Georgia Power substation and the USGS gage house near the Waleska Street bridge and the railroad tracks in the city will be flooded with a few feet of water. There may be a data transmission loss at the gage.
28 ft
Flooding never seen before inundates all parks near the river in Canton with 7 to 12 feet of water. The flood waters up to 9 feet deep surround the water treatment plant near Boling Park. Numerous primary roads...industrial buildings and businesses including River Place Shopping Center will be flooded with 1 to 3 feet of water. The Georgia Power substation and the USGS gage house near the Waleska Street bridge and the railroad tracks in the city will be flooded.
27 ft
Record flooding inundates all recreational areas and parks near the river in Canton with 6 to 11 feet of water. The flood waters up to 8 feet deep surround the water treatment plant near Boling Park. Several primary roads...industrial buildings and numerous businesses including River Place Shopping Center will be flooded with 1 to 2 feet of water. The rock foundation of a Georgia Power substation near the Waleska Street bridge floods. The railroad tracks in the city begin to flood.
26 ft
Major flooding begins. Widespread inundation flooding affects all recreational areas and parks near the river in Canton with 5 to 10 feet of water. The flood waters up to 7 feet deep will surround the water treatment plant near Boling Park. Several primary roads...industrial buildings and numerous businesses including River Place Shopping Center will be flooded. The Georgia Power substation near the Waleska Street bridge will begin to flood. Flood waters will approach the railroad tracks in the city.
25 ft
Significant flooding expands in Canton. Boling Park behind the Cherokee County High School...the Cherokee County Fairgrounds and the Etowah River Greenway at Heritage Park are flooded with up to 9 feet of water. The flood waters will be up to 6 feet deep around the water treatment plant near Boling Park. Portions of the Mill Industrial Way road are under 8 feet of water. Several buildings near the Canton Textile Plant are flooded with 2 feet of water and buildings along Railroad Street begin to flood.
23 ft
Significant flooding occurs along the river in Canton. Boling Park behind the Cherokee County High School...the Cherokee County Fairgrounds and the Etowah River Greenway at Heritage Park are flooded with up to 7 feet of water. The flood waters will be up to 4 feet deep around the water treatment plant near Boling Park. Portions of the Mill Industrial Way road are under 6 feet of water. Several buildings near the Canton Textile Plant 1 begin to flood.
22 ft
Moderate flooding begins upstream and downstream from the Walaska Street bridge. Recreation areas such as Boling Park behind the Cherokee County High School...the Cherokee County Fairgrounds and the Etowah River Greenway at Heritage Park will be flooded with up to 6 feet of water. The flood waters will be up to 3 feet deep around the base of the water treatment plant near Boling Park. Portions of the Mill Industrial Way road will be under 5 feet of water. Old Canton Textile Plant Number 1 begins to flood.
20 ft
Minor flooding expands further into the woodlands and fields upstream and downstream from the gage by the Walaska Street bridge. Large portions of recreational areas such as Boling Park behind the Cherokee County High School...the Cherokee County Fairgrounds and the Etowah River Greenway at Heritage Park will be flooded with up to 4 feet of water. The flood waters will reach the base of the water treatment plant near Boling Park. Portions of the Mill Industrial Way road will be under 3 feet of water.
18 ft
Minor flooding expands into the woodlands and fields along the river upstream and downstream from the gage by the Walaska Street bridge. Large portions of recreational areas such as Boling Park behind the Cherokee County High School...the Cherokee County Fairgrounds and the Etowah River Greenway at Heritage Park will be flooded with up to two feet of water. The parking lot at Boling Park will be under one foot of water. Portions of the Mill Industrial Way Road begin to flood.
17 ft
Minor flooding continues in the woodlands and fields along the river upstream and downstream from the gage by the Walaska Street bridge. Portions of recreational areas such as Boling Park behind the Cherokee County High School...the Cherokee County Fairgrounds and the Etowah River Greenway at Heritage Park will be flooded with up to one foot of water. The parking lot at Boling Park will begin to flood.
16 ft
Flood Stage is reached. Minor flooding begins in the woodlands and fields along the river upstream and downstream from the gage by the Walaska Street bridge. Low lying portions of recreational areas such as Boling Park behind the Cherokee County High School...the Cherokee County Fairgrounds and the Etowah River Greenway at Heritage Park will begin to flood.
15 ft
Bankfull conditions occur in the woodlands and fields along the river in the Canton area. Some flooding will begin in low lying and poor drainage areas.
Impact statements from the National Weather Service, describing what typically happens at each water level.
7-Day Water Level Chart
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Historic Crests
| Date | Stage | Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 6, 1946 | 26.7 ft | 32,300 cfs |
| Jan 6, 1946 | 26.7 ft | 32,300 cfs |
| Dec 9, 1919 | 26.3 ft | 36,100 cfs |
| Dec 9, 1919 | 26.3 ft | 36,100 cfs |
| Jul 9, 1916 | 25.9 ft | 36,100 cfs |
Flood Inundation Map
NOAA has mapped what areas flood at different water levels for this gauge. View the interactive flood inundation map →
About This Gauge
Get Flood Alerts for Etowah River
StormCast monitors this gauge and sends a push notification to your phone when the water level crosses into a new flood category — even at 3 AM.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current water level of Etowah River at Canton?
The Etowah River at Canton gauge is maintained by USGS (site 02392000) and reports water levels every 15 minutes. Visit this page to see the latest reading updated live, or download StormCast to get push alerts when levels rise.
What is flood stage for Etowah River at Canton?
The NWS-defined flood stage for Etowah River at Canton is 16 feet. Action stage begins at 15 feet. Moderate flooding starts at 22 feet, and major flooding at 26 feet.
How do I get alerts when Etowah River rises?
Download StormCast free on Google Play, go to River Gauges, and add Etowah River at Canton to your watchlist. StormCast will send a push notification to your phone whenever the water level crosses into a new NWS flood category — even when your screen is off.
Where is the Etowah River at Canton gauge located?
The gauge is located in Cherokee County, Georgia at coordinates 34.2400°N, 84.4947°W. USGS site number: 02392000. Data is provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Weather Service.
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Source & Notes
Data provided by: US Geological Survey, Observations courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey, Observations courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Automated gauge readings are now available, courtesy of the USGS.
- River forecasts for this location take into account past precipitation and the precipitation amounts expected approximately 48 hours into the future from the forecast issuance time.