Oconee River near Penfield, GA
River level and flood forecast · Greene County
Normal5.2 ftas of Mon 4 PM
The river is 7.8 ft below flood stage (13 ft).
Forecast to fall to 3.2 ft by Sat, Oct 17, 8 AM.
Flow: 1,000 cubic feet per second (USGS).
The last 7 days and the forecast
NWS forecast issued Mon, Oct 12, 10:34 AM. Forecasts change as rain falls and as upstream water arrives.
Flood stages
| Major flood stage | 27 ft |
| Moderate flood stage | 18 ft |
| Flood stage | 13 ft |
| Action stage | 11 ft |
| Record crest (March 6, 1929) | 26.9 ft |
What floods at each level
From the National Weather Service, highest first.
- 40 ftWidespread major flooding occurs. Several buildings are flooded out and Highway 15 bridge floods.
- 27 ftMajor flooding begins. L.C. Curtis and Son Company offices flood.
- 22 ftModerate flooding expands. Several farm access roads begin to flood.
- 18 ftModerate flooding begins. Ward Road floods and cuts off access to L.C. Curtis and Son Sand and Gravel Company. Irrigation systems also begin to flood and need to be moved to higher ground.
- 17 ftMinor flooding continues to expand into fields...woodlands and pastures near the river. The water level is very close to Ward Road on the right bank. Flood waters will be approaching irrigation systems and they may need to be moved to higher ground.
- 15 ftMinor flooding continues to expand into fields...woodlands and pastures...mainly on the right bank of the river...upstream and downstream from the gage on the Georgia Highway 15 bridge.
- 13 ftFlood Stage is reached. Minor flooding occurs along the river upstream and downstream from the gage on the Georgia Highway 15 bridge. The right bank begins to overflow into agricultural land and pastures with a foot or two of water.
- 11 ftBankfull conditions occur upstream and downstream from the gage on the Georgia Highway 15 bridge. Some low lying areas on the right bank just begin to overflow.
Highest crests on record
- 26.9 ft — March 6, 1929
- 26.9 ft — December 19, 1919
- 26.7 ft — April 9, 1936
- 25.92 ft — October 1, 1989
- 22.59 ft — February 5, 1998
Recent crests: 18.51 ft (August 6, 2025) · 17.64 ft (February 15, 2025) · 13.54 ft (September 29, 2024) · 13.67 ft (March 11, 2024) · 14.84 ft (March 8, 2024)
Up and down the river, and nearby
- Apalachee River near Bostwick, GA
- Middle Oconee River at US 78 at Athens, GA
- Apalachee River at Snows Mill Road near Bishop, GA
- North Oconee River at College Street at Athens, GA
- Little River at Newborn Road near Newborn, GA
- Kettle Creek near Washington, GA
- Middle Oconee River near Arcade, GA
- Alcovy River above Covington, GA
Not an official source. River levels, forecasts, flood stages and impacts are from the National Weather Service (PNFG1); flow from the U.S. Geological Survey. Readings are provisional. In a flood, follow your local officials and the NWS at weather.gov.