TornadoLiveMap

Sharp Mountain Creek at Old GA 5 below Ball Ground — water level right now

Cherokee County, Georgia · NWS gauge BALG1
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
18
minor flood stage
 
18.67
record crest
set 2025-02-13
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 16
minor · 18
moderate · 23
major · 28
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage28extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage23some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage18low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage16water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
118.672025-02-13+0.67 above
2182009-09-22+0 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Hickory Log Creek near Canton 5 mi away · loading… Etowah River Downstream I-575 at Canton 6 mi away · loading… Etowah River at Canton 7 mi away · loading… Settingdown Creek near Ball Ground 8 mi away · loading… Shoal Creek at GA 108 near Waleska 11 mi away · loading… Etowah River at Kelly Bridge Road near Matt 12 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDBALG1
USGS site02391540
CountyCherokee
StateGeorgia
NWS forecast officePeachtree City
River forecast centerSoutheast River Forecast Center
Coordinates34.311, -84.403
Time zoneEST5EDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Sharp Mountain Creek at Old GA 5 below Ball Ground

Is Sharp Mountain Creek at Old GA 5 below Ball Ground flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 18 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Sharp Mountain Creek at Old GA 5 below Ball Ground?

major flood stage 28 ft, moderate flood stage 23 ft, minor flood stage 18 ft, action stage 16 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Sharp Mountain Creek at Old GA 5 below Ball Ground?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 18.67 ft, reached on 2025-02-13 — that is 0.67 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Peachtree City and local emergency management.