Summary
Total streamflow across the
Etowah River
was last observed at
4,104
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
8,140
acre-ft of water today; about 29%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
14,049 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2019-04-20 when daily discharge volume was observed at
60,490 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Etowah River At Ga 1 Loop
reporting a streamflow rate of 2,070 cfs.
This is also the highest stage along the Etowah River, with a gauge stage of
14.57 ft at this location.
This river is monitored from 6 different streamgauging stations along the Etowah River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 1,042 ft, the
Etowah River At Ga 9.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-24 |
| Discharge Volume | 8,140 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
4,104.0 cfs
-2190.0 cfs (-34.8%) |
| Percent of Normal | 29.21% |
| Maximum |
60,490.0 cfs
2019-04-20 |
| Seasonal Avg | 14,049 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Etowah River At Ga 9
USGS 02389150 |
114 cfs | 3.81 ft | -1.72 | |||||
|
Etowah River At Canton
USGS 02392000 |
403 cfs | 1.75 ft | -2.89 | |||||
|
Etowah River At Allatoona Dam
USGS 02394000 |
373 cfs | 1.27 ft | 3.9 | |||||
|
Etowah River At Ga 61
USGS 02394670 |
393 cfs | 4.83 ft | -51.12 | |||||
|
Etowah River Near Kingston
USGS 02395000 |
751 cfs | 3.72 ft | -70.78 | |||||
|
Etowah River At Ga 1 Loop
USGS 02395980 |
2070 cfs | 14.57 ft | 1.97 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Etowah River is a 164-mile-long (264 km) waterway that rises northwest of Dahlonega, Georgia, north of Atlanta. On Matthew Carey's 1795 map the river was labeled "High Town River". On later maps, such as the 1839 Cass County map (Cass being the original name for Bartow County), it was referred to as "Hightower River", a name that was used in most early Cherokee records.
The large Amicalola Creek (which flows over Amicalola Falls) is a primary tributary near the beginning of the river. The Etowah then flows west-southwest through Canton, Georgia, and soon forms Lake Allatoona. From the dam at the lake, it passes Cartersville and the Etowah Indian Mounds archaeological site. It then flows to Rome, Georgia, where it meets the Oostanaula River and forms the Coosa River at their confluence. The river is the northernmost portion of the Etowah-Coosa-Alabama-Mobile Waterway, stretching from the mountains of north Georgia to Mobile Bay in Alabama.
The Little River is the largest tributary of the Etowah, their confluence now flooded by Lake Allatoona. Allatoona Creek is another major tributary, flowing north from Cobb County and forming the other major arm of the lake.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially named the river in 1897.
The river ends at 571 feet (174 m) above mean sea level.
The river is home to the Etowah darter, which is listed on the Endangered Species List.
Country singer-songwriter Jerry Reed made the Etowah the home of the wild, misunderstood swamp dweller Ko-Ko Joe in the 1971 song "Ko-Ko Joe". The fictional character, who is reviled by respectable people but apparently dies a hero while saving a child's life, is alternately known as the "Etowah River Swamp Rat" in the song. Reed, a native of Atlanta, took some liberties with Georgia geography in the song, including the non-existent "Appaloosa County" and "Ko-Ko Ridge" as part of the song narrative’s setting.