USGS Water-Year Summary 2024

02197000 SAVANNAH RIVER AT AUGUSTA, GA

LOCATION - Lat 33°22'21.1", long 81°56'31.5" referenced to North American Datum of 1983, Richmond County, GA, Hydrologic Unit 03060106, at New Savannah Bluff lock and dam, 0.2 mi upstream from Butler Creek, 12.0 mi downstream from Augusta, and at mile 187.4.

DRAINAGE AREA - 7,330 mi².

REVISIONS HISTORY -

WSP 1303: 1927-39 (monthly runoff). WSP 1433: 1888, 1896-99, 1902-03, 1906-07, and 1932 (M). WRD SC-77-1: 1975. WRD SC-94-1: Peaks outside period of record, 1796, 1840, 1852, 1864, 1865, 1908.

Drainage area was revised on Jul. 15, 2021, based on a more accurate determination of the drainage area.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - October 1883 to December 1891, January 1896 to December 1906, January 1925 to current year. Monthly discharges only for some periods, published in WSP 1303. Gage-height records collected at site of Fifth Street gage from 1875 to 1952 and at New Savannah Bluff lock and dam sites since 1937 are contained in reports of National Weather Service.

GAGE - Data collection platform. Datum of gage is 0.61 ft below NAVD of 88. Prior to Oct. 1, 2008 at same site at datum of 95.58 ft above NGVD of 1929. Prior to October 1, 2001, at same site at datum of 96.58 ft above NGVD of 1929. Oct. 1, 1883 to Dec. 31, 1891, Jan. 1, 1896, to Dec. 31, 1906, Jan. 1, 1925, to Sept. 30, 1932, nonrecording or recording gage at Fifth Street Bridge at datum 102.06 ft above NGVD of 1929 (levels by Southeastern Engineering Co.). Oct. 1, 1932, to Sept. 30, 1936, recording gage at Thirteenth Street bridge at datum 104.56 ft above NGVD OF 1929 (levels by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). Oct. 1, 1936, to Nov. 10, 1948, recording gage at site 0.2 mi downstream from present site.

REMARKS - Gage-height records are generally good to fair. Discharge records are generally good to fair except for estimated discharges, which are poor. Additional details on the accuracy of the records can be obtained by contacting the USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center at gs-w-sc_nwisweb_data_inquiries@usgs.gov.

EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum discharge, 307,000 ft³/s, Aug. 27, 1908, gage height, 38.8 ft, at site and datum at Fifth Street gage. Stages and discharges for other floods at site and datum at Fifth Street gage are as follows: 280,000 ft³/s, Jan. 17, 1796, gage height (determined by analysis of historical documents), 38 ft; 260,000 ft³/s, May 28, 1840, gage height, 37.5 ft; 230,000 ft³/s, Aug. 29, 1852, gage height, 36.8 ft; 160,000 ft³/s, Jan. 1, 1864, gage height, 34.0 ft; 220,000 ft³/s, Jan. 11, 1865, gage height, 36.4 ft. Stages for the 1840, 1852, 1864, and 1865 floods were obtained from the City of Augusta, Georgia, gage records that were copied in the log books of the National Weather Service. These floods and floods recorded by the National Weather Service beginning in 1876 are stored in the USGS peak flow database. Other historical documents indicated floods of unknown magnitude occurred in 1722 and 1741.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Period affected by regulation (1951 to current): Maximum instantaneous discharge, 87,100 cfs, Apr. 9, 1964. Maximum instantaneous gage height, 120.74 feet above NGVD of 1929, Apr. 9, 1964. Minimum daily mean discharge, 1,710 cfs, Sep. 7, 1951.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD PRIOR TO REGULATION - Maximum instantaneous discharge, 350,000 cfs, October 2, 1929. Maximum instantaneous gage height, 148.36 ft. above NGVD of 1929, September 27, 1929. Minimum daily mean discharge, 1,040 cfs, Oct. 2, 1927.