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Middle Oconee River near Arcade

Highest listed crest 25.35 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft44 crests since 1987

The Middle Oconee River near Arcade crested above flood stage 42 times among the 44 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1987 to 2025. The highest, 25.35 ft on March 18, 1990, was moderate flooding, 9.35 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Middle Oconee River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.35 ft
March 18, 1990; 13,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 27.0 ft
Crests at major
0
42 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
February 14, 2025
21.06 ft, moderate flooding
Location
Barrow County
Near Jefferson (7.6 mi), Winder (9.6 mi), Athens (12.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Middle Oconee River near Arcade
Action stage15.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.027Sep 28, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage21.015Feb 14, 2025Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage27.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

44 crests from 1987 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Middle Oconee River near Arcade, 1987 to 2025 1015202530ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 27.0 ft Mar 1, 1987: 19.66 ft, minor flooding; 7,410 cubic feet per secondJan 21, 1988: 14.49 ft, below flood stage; 4,250 cubic feet per secondJun 21, 1989: 18.02 ft, minor flooding; 6,070 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1990: 25.35 ft, moderate flooding; 13,800 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1991: 13.69 ft, below flood stage; 3,700 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1992: 21.16 ft, moderate flooding; 8,670 cubic feet per secondDec 17, 1992: 21.62 ft, moderate flooding; 9,070 cubic feet per secondMar 27, 1993: 17.26 ft, minor flooding; 5,690 cubic feet per secondJul 17, 1994: 22.18 ft, moderate flooding; 9,560 cubic feet per secondAug 17, 1994: 22.18 ft, moderate flooding; 9,560 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1995: 18.61 ft, minor flooding; 6,650 cubic feet per secondOct 5, 1995: 22.59 ft, moderate flooding; 9,930 cubic feet per secondMar 1, 1997: 19.80 ft, minor flooding; 7,490 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1998: 24.97 ft, moderate flooding; 12,200 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 2003: 19.70 ft, minor floodingJul 2, 2003: 23.50 ft, moderate flooding; 10,800 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2004: 17.56 ft, minor floodingMar 29, 2005: 19.81 ft, minor flooding; 7,633 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 2009: 16.51 ft, minor flooding; 5,186 cubic feet per secondNov 12, 2009: 21.67 ft, moderate flooding; 9,107 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2010: 21.56 ft, moderate flooding; 9,012 cubic feet per secondFeb 6, 2010: 18.85 ft, minor flooding; 6,826 cubic feet per secondMay 6, 2013: 17.33 ft, minor flooding; 5,734 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 2013: 16.73 ft, minor flooding; 5,331 cubic feet per secondJan 12, 2014: 17.13 ft, minor flooding; 5,594 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2014: 17.70 ft, minor flooding; 5,988 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 2015: 20.50 ft, minor flooding; 8,122 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 2015: 19.06 ft, minor flooding; 6,987 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 2016: 17.21 ft, minor flooding; 5,647 cubic feet per secondNov 14, 2018: 18.12 ft, minor flooding; 6,288 cubic feet per secondDec 10, 2018: 21.19 ft, moderate flooding; 8,697 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2018: 19.05 ft, minor flooding; 6,976 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2019: 17.29 ft, minor flooding; 5,706 cubic feet per secondApr 20, 2019: 24.56 ft, moderate flooding; 11,807 cubic feet per secondJan 4, 2020: 16.46 ft, minor flooding; 5,153 cubic feet per secondFeb 7, 2020: 22.90 ft, moderate flooding; 10,214 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2020: 17.51 ft, minor flooding; 5,858 cubic feet per secondFeb 5, 2022: 16.57 ft, minor flooding; 5,224 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 2023: 20.08 ft, minor flooding; 7,780 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 23.86 ft, moderate flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 2024: 17.23 ft, minor flooding; 4,578 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2024: 17.01 ft, minor flooding; 5,182 cubic feet per secondSep 28, 2024: 18.31 ft, minor flooding; 5,919 cubic feet per secondFeb 14, 2025: 21.06 ft, moderate flooding; 7,593 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.35 ft, Mar 18, 1990 1990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Middle Oconee River near Arcade 1980s: 2 1990s: 10 2000s: 6 2010s: 14 14 2020s: 10 1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Middle Oconee River near Arcade
1Mar 18, 199025.35+9.35Moderate13,800
2Feb 4, 199824.97+8.97Moderate12,200
3Apr 20, 201924.56+8.56Moderate11,807
4Jan 10, 202423.86+7.86Moderate10,400
5Jul 2, 200323.50+7.50Moderate10,800
6Feb 7, 202022.90+6.90Moderate10,214
7Oct 5, 199522.59+6.59Moderate9,930
8Jul 17, 199422.18+6.18Moderate9,560
9Aug 17, 199422.18+6.18Moderate9,560
10Nov 12, 200921.67+5.67Moderate9,107
11Dec 17, 199221.62+5.62Moderate9,070
12Jan 26, 201021.56+5.56Moderate9,012
13Dec 10, 201821.19+5.19Moderate8,697
14Nov 26, 199221.16+5.16Moderate8,670
15Feb 14, 202521.06+5.06Moderate7,593
16Nov 3, 201520.50+4.50Minor8,122
17Jan 5, 202320.08+4.08Minor7,780
18Mar 29, 200519.81+3.81Minor7,633
19Mar 1, 199719.80+3.80Minor7,490
20Mar 21, 200319.70+3.70Minor—
21Mar 1, 198719.66+3.66Minor7,410
22Dec 25, 201519.06+3.06Minor6,987
23Dec 29, 201819.05+3.05Minor6,976
24Feb 6, 201018.85+2.85Minor6,826
25Feb 17, 199518.61+2.61Minor6,650
26Sep 28, 202418.31+2.31Minor5,919
27Nov 14, 201818.12+2.12Minor6,288
28Jun 21, 198918.02+2.02Minor6,070
29Apr 8, 201417.70+1.70Minor5,988
30Sep 18, 200417.56+1.56Minor—
31Sep 18, 202017.51+1.51Minor5,858
32May 6, 201317.33+1.33Minor5,734
33Jan 5, 201917.29+1.29Minor5,706
34Mar 27, 199317.26+1.26Minor5,690
35Feb 13, 202417.23+1.23Minor4,578
36Jan 23, 201617.21+1.21Minor5,647
37Jan 12, 201417.13+1.13Minor5,594
38Mar 7, 202417.01+1.01Minor5,182
39Dec 24, 201316.73+0.73Minor5,331
40Feb 5, 202216.57+0.57Minor5,224
41Sep 22, 200916.51+0.51Minor5,186
42Jan 4, 202016.46+0.46Minor5,153
43Jan 21, 198814.49−1.51Below flood stage4,250
44Mar 30, 199113.69−2.31Below flood stage3,700

The worst floods along the Middle Oconee River

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

March 18, 1990: 25.35 ft here, moderate flooding

February 4, 1998: 24.97 ft here, moderate flooding

April 20, 2019: 24.56 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Middle Oconee River

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

Flood gauges on the Middle Oconee River
Arcade this gaugeGA16.025.35 ft, Mar 18, 19900
US 78 at AthensGA18.025.50 ft, Feb 28, 19023

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ACDG1, 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.