2026-03-12T21:00:00-06:00
The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect from 11 AM to 8 PM MDT Friday. A Fire Weather Watch has also been issued. This Fire Weather Watch for wind and low relative humidity is in effect from Saturday morning through Saturday evening. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect. * AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248 and 249. * TIMING...For the first Red Flag Warning, until 9 PM MDT this evening. For the second Red Flag Warning, from 11 AM to 8 PM MDT Friday. For the Fire Weather Watch, from Saturday morning through Saturday evening. * WINDS...On Thursday, west 30 to 60 mph with gusts up to 90 mph, strongest winds near the Cheyenne Ridge. On Friday, west winds 25 to 35 with gusts around 35 to 50 mph. On Saturday, west winds 25 to 35 with gusts around 40 to 60 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 10 percent. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a wildfire.
Summary
Total streamflow across the
Etowah River
was last observed at
7,026
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
13,936
acre-ft of water today; about 42%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
16,805 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 Near Kingston
reporting a streamflow rate of 2,110 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Etowah River At Ga 1 Loop
with a gauge stage of 14.04 ft.
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.
15-Day Weather Outlook
River Details
| Last Updated | 2026-03-12 |
| Discharge Volume | 13,936 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
7,026.0 cfs
-836.0 cfs (-10.63%) |
| Percent of Normal | 41.81% |
| Maximum |
60,490.0 cfs
2019-04-20 |
| Seasonal Avg | 16,805 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 |
169 cfs | 4.16 ft | -10.58 | |||||
|
Etowah River At Canton
USGS 02392000 |
737 cfs | 2.54 ft | -17.28 | |||||
|
Etowah River At Allatoona Dam
USGS 02394000 |
1720 cfs | 1.97 ft | 469.54 | |||||
|
Etowah River At Ga 61
USGS 02394670 |
700 cfs | 5.41 ft | -38.05 | |||||
|
Etowah River Near Kingston
USGS 02395000 |
2110 cfs | 5.31 ft | -31.72 | |||||
|
Etowah River At Ga 1 Loop
USGS 02395980 |
1590 cfs | 14.04 ft | -29.65 |
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.