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Coosawattee River near Ellijay

Highest listed crest 20.70 ftFlood stage 8.0 ft50 crests since 1939

The Coosawattee River near Ellijay crested at major flood stage 17 times among the 50 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1939 to 2025. The highest, 20.70 ft on March 29, 1951, was major flooding, 12.70 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
20.70 ft
March 29, 1951; 22,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
8.0 ft
Major flooding from 11.0 ft
Crests at major
17
2nd of 271 gauges in Georgia
Most recent flood crest
April 7, 2025
9.84 ft, minor flooding
Location
Gilmer 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 near Ellijay
Action stage6.012Jan 19, 2001The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)8.021Apr 7, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage10.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage11.017Mar 26, 2021Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

50 crests from 1939 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Coosawattee River near Ellijay, 1939 to 2025 510152025ft Flood stage 8.0 ftMajor 11.0 ft Feb 15, 1939: 7.20 ft, action stage; 4,570 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1942: 8.16 ft, minor flooding; 5,790 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 1942: 9.78 ft, minor flooding; 7,470 cubic feet per secondFeb 27, 1944: 8.48 ft, minor flooding; 6,090 cubic feet per secondFeb 10, 1946: 14.30 ft, major flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1947: 14.30 ft, major flooding; 13,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1948: 8.94 ft, minor flooding; 6,490 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1948: 13.10 ft, major flooding; 11,400 cubic feet per secondMar 29, 1951: 20.70 ft, major flooding; 22,000 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1964: 12.72 ft, major flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondOct 4, 1964: 17.63 ft, major flooding; 17,000 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1966: 11.46 ft, major flooding; 9,210 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 1967: 11.70 ft, major flooding; 9,470 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1967: 6.45 ft, action stage; 4,110 cubic feet per secondFeb 2, 1969: 8.22 ft, minor flooding; 5,810 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1972: 6.76 ft, action stage; 4,410 cubic feet per secondMay 28, 1973: 14.95 ft, major flooding; 13,400 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1973: 9.50 ft, minor flooding; 7,090 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1975: 6.35 ft, action stage; 4,060 cubic feet per secondMay 16, 1976: 8.86 ft, minor flooding; 6,500 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1977: 12.71 ft, major flooding; 11,000 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1977: 6.05 ft, action stage; 4,400 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1979: 14.16 ft, major flooding; 12,600 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1980: 9.64 ft, minor flooding; 8,090 cubic feet per secondJan 3, 1982: 11.30 ft, major flooding; 9,330 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1984: 9.31 ft, minor flooding; 7,330 cubic feet per secondFeb 28, 1987: 6.59 ft, action stage; 4,710 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1989: 7.87 ft, action stage; 5,970 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1990: 16.74 ft, major flooding; 15,200 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1990: 9.31 ft, minor flooding; 7,330 cubic feet per secondJul 2, 1992: 6.25 ft, action stage; 4,430 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 1992: 6.13 ft, action stage; 4,320 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1994: 7.90 ft, action stage; 6,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 16, 1995: 8.42 ft, minor flooding; 6,490 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1996: 12.79 ft, major flooding; 10,900 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1997: 8.79 ft, minor flooding; 6,840 cubic feet per secondOct 26, 1997: 6.57 ft, action stage; 4,720 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2000: 8.80 ft, minor flooding; 6,850 cubic feet per secondJan 19, 2001: 6.34 ft, action stage; 4,510 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2003: 9.73 ft, minor flooding; 7,740 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 2004: 17.33 ft, major flooding; 15,800 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 2013: 9.00 ft, minor flooding; 7,037 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2015: 9.10 ft, minor flooding; 7,132 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2015: 13.88 ft, major flooding; 12,093 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2020: 9.38 ft, minor flooding; 7,425 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 2021: 12.22 ft, major flooding; 10,249 cubic feet per secondSep 1, 2021: 8.97 ft, minor flooding; 7,030 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2022: 8.28 ft, minor flooding; 6,379 cubic feet per secondMay 9, 2024: 9.60 ft, minor flooding; 7,613 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 2025: 9.84 ft, minor flooding; 7,845 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.70 ft, Mar 29, 1951 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Coosawattee River near Ellijay 1930s: 0 1940s: 7 7 1950s: 1 1960s: 5 1970s: 5 1980s: 3 1990s: 5 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 6 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 near Ellijay
1Mar 29, 195120.70+12.70Major22,000
2Oct 4, 196417.63+9.63Major17,000
3Sep 17, 200417.33+9.33Major15,800
4Feb 16, 199016.74+8.74Major15,200
5May 28, 197314.95+6.95Major13,400
6Feb 10, 194614.30+6.30Major13,000
7Jan 20, 194714.30+6.30Major13,000
8Mar 4, 197914.16+6.16Major12,600
9Dec 24, 201513.88+5.88Major12,093
10Nov 28, 194813.10+5.10Major11,400
11Jan 27, 199612.79+4.79Major10,900
12Mar 26, 196412.72+4.72Major10,900
13Mar 30, 197712.71+4.71Major11,000
14Mar 26, 202112.22+4.22Major10,249
15Aug 23, 196711.70+3.70Major9,470
16Mar 4, 196611.46+3.46Major9,210
17Jan 3, 198211.30+3.30Major9,330
18Apr 7, 20259.84+1.84Minor7,845
19Dec 29, 19429.78+1.78Minor7,470
20Jul 16, 20039.73+1.73Minor7,740
21Mar 21, 19809.64+1.64Minor8,090
22May 9, 20249.60+1.60Minor7,613
23Dec 31, 19739.50+1.50Minor7,090
24Feb 6, 20209.38+1.38Minor7,425
25Mar 20, 19849.31+1.31Minor7,330
26Dec 23, 19909.31+1.31Minor7,330
27Dec 2, 20159.10+1.10Minor7,132
28Aug 1, 20139.00+1.00Minor7,037
29Sep 1, 20218.97+0.97Minor7,030
30Feb 12, 19488.94+0.94Minor6,490
31May 16, 19768.86+0.86Minor6,500
32Apr 3, 20008.80+0.80Minor6,850
33May 3, 19978.79+0.79Minor6,840
34Feb 27, 19448.48+0.48Minor6,090
35Feb 16, 19958.42+0.42Minor6,490
36Feb 4, 20228.28+0.28Minor6,379
37Feb 2, 19698.22+0.22Minor5,810
38Feb 17, 19428.16+0.16Minor5,790
39Apr 16, 19947.90−0.10Action6,000
40Sep 30, 19897.87−0.13Action5,970
41Feb 15, 19397.20−0.80Action4,570
42Jan 10, 19726.76−1.24Action4,410
43Feb 28, 19876.59−1.41Action4,710
44Oct 26, 19976.57−1.43Action4,720
45Dec 22, 19676.45−1.55Action4,110
46Jan 25, 19756.35−1.65Action4,060
47Jan 19, 20016.34−1.66Action4,510
48Jul 2, 19926.25−1.75Action4,430
49Dec 20, 19926.13−1.87Action4,320
50Nov 5, 19776.05−1.95Action4,400

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 29, 1951: 20.70 ft here, major flooding

February 16, 1990: 16.74 ft here, major flooding

May 28, 1973: 14.95 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
Ellijay this gaugeGA8.020.70 ft, Mar 29, 195117
CartersGA20.036.00 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 Gilmer County

Flood gauges in Gilmer County
Ellijay7.013.00 ft, Apr 8, 19382
Talking Rock10.017.84 ft, Dec 24, 20151

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ELIG1, 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.