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Coosawattee River at Carters

Highest listed crest 36.00 ftFlood stage 20.0 ft6 crests since 1906

The Coosawattee River at Carters crested at major flood stage 5 times among the 6 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1906 to 2016. The highest, 36.00 ft on March 30, 1951, was major flooding, 16.00 feet above flood stage. 3 other gauges on the Coosawattee River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 3 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
36.00 ft
March 30, 1951; 57,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
20.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
5
24th of 271 gauges in Georgia
Most recent flood crest
January 1, 2016
20.69 ft, minor flooding
Location
Murray County
Georgia

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Coosawattee River at Carters
Action stage17.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)20.01Jan 1, 2016Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage24.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.05Mar 30, 1951Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

6 crests from 1906 to 2016. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Coosawattee River at Carters, 1906 to 2016 2025303540ft Flood stage 20.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Nov 19, 1906: 30.60 ft, major flooding; 28,500 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 1920: 29.50 ft, major flooding; 25,800 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1922: 28.50 ft, major flooding; 23,200 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1938: 33.30 ft, major flooding; 46,000 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1951: 36.00 ft, major flooding; 57,000 cubic feet per secondJan 1, 2016: 20.69 ft, minor flooding; 9,267 cubic feet per second Highest, 36.00 ft, Mar 30, 1951 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Coosawattee River at Carters 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 2 2 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Coosawattee River at Carters
1Mar 30, 195136.00+16.00Major57,000
2Apr 8, 193833.30+13.30Major46,000
3Nov 19, 190630.60+10.60Major28,500
4Dec 14, 192029.50+9.50Major25,800
5Jan 21, 192228.50+8.50Major23,200
6Jan 1, 201620.69+0.69Minor9,267

The worst floods along the Coosawattee River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Coosawattee River that crested above flood stage within a week.

March 30, 1951: 36.00 ft here, major flooding

April 8, 1938: 33.30 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Coosawattee River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Coosawattee River
EllijayGA8.020.70 ft, Mar 29, 195117
Carters this gaugeGA20.036.00 ft, Mar 30, 19515
Pine Chapel / RedbudGA25.034.20 ft, Mar 30, 19510
Pine Chapel Road near ResacaGA22.030.80 ft, Mar 30, 19510

Other gauges in Murray County

Flood gauges in Murray County
GA 286 near Eton12.020.52 ft, Mar 28, 19940
Chatsworth10.014.87 ft, Feb 16, 19900

Murray County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Georgia

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CATG1, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.