Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service: Tallahassee: Apalachicola River at Woodruff Dam (USACE)

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Over 200 USGS real-time streamgages used to support NWS river forecasts and warnings are at risk of being discontinued. Click here for more information from the USGS...
Weather Forecast Office Tallahassee, FL	Southeast River Forecast Center

Hydrograph

River at a Glance

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Weekly Chance of
Exceeding Levels

Chance of Exceeding Levels
During Entire Period

Apalachicola River at Woodruff Dam (USACE)

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About this graph

Tabular Data

Datum: Not Available

Metadata

Reliability of the Forecast: Based on current and forecast river, weather and reservoir conditions

NOTE: Forecasts for the Apalachicola River at Woodruff Dam (USACE) are issued routinely year-round.

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Upstream Gauge

Downstream Gauge

Flood Categories (in feet)

Major Flood Stage:	80
Moderate Flood Stage:	72
Flood Stage:	66
Action Stage:	60

Historical Crests
(1) 76.29 ft on 07/10/1994
(2) 76.07 ft on 03/12/1998
(3) 69.15 ft on 04/01/2009

Low Water Records

	Legend Gauge Location	Disclaimer
Latitude/Longitude Disclaimer: The gauge location shown in the above map is the approximate location based on the latitude/longitude coordinates provided to the NWS by the gauge owner.

Flood Impacts & Photos

80.59	This is the 500 Year Flood level.
80	Major flooding will occur.
79.09	This is the 200 Year Flood level.
78.09	This is the 100 Year Flood level. At least 60 homes and several businesses in the River Junction area will begin to flood. Railroad tracks and State Road 269 will also start to flood.
76.8	This is the 50 Year Flood level.
75.2	This is the 25 Year Flood level.
72.4	This is the "10 Year Flood" level.
69.8	This is the 5 Year Flood level.
66	The river reaches initial flood stage. Flooding will begin in the river junction areas of Mosquito Creek about .9 miles from the dam.
Photos (1) Apalachicola River at Woodruff Dam - KML

Low Water Impacts


10 kcfs	Threatened Purple Bankclimber and endangered Fat Threeridge mussels mostly inundated with most mussels inundated at 8,000 cfs.
16 kcfs	Minimum release in support of protected mussels, host fish for mussels, and young Sturgeon. Flow level allows connectivity between the main channel of the Apalachicola River and back channels used by host fish for listed mussels and young Sturgeon. Roughly 7,000 acres of floodplain habitat connected to the river channel.
20.4 kcfs	Successful Gulf Sturgeon spawning occurred in 2005 in flow range between 20.4 kcfs and 37.4 kcfs. All rock shoal habitat at NM 105 is inundated in this range and most (>73 %) inundated with >4.59 ft (the min. reported depth of Gulf Sturgeon spawning in any river). Roughly 87 % of the rock ledge habitat and access for spawning (> 4.59 ft depth) available to approx. 60 % of the rock ledge habitat at NM 105.
29 kcfs	Flow needed to inundate upper river floodplain (Chattahoochee to Blountstown stretch) to allow host fish to access the main channel and floodplain to assist with Purple Bankclimber and Fat Threeridge reproduction.
30 kcfs	Flow needed to inundate designated Gulf Sturgeon critical habitat below Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam.
4.2 kcfs	Temporary (not sustainable) operating level for of Scholz Power Plant located just downstream of Woodruff Dam. Equivalent to 37.5 ft msl.
5.0 kcfs	Minimum flow release from Woodruff Dam. Salinity of Apalachicola Bay changes due to extended flows at this level. Areas of increased water temperature localized dissolved oxygen changes. Minimum water level for operation of Scholz Power Plant, located just downstream of Woodruff Dam. Can function temporarily at 4,200 cfs or 37.5 ft.
5.6 kcfs	Level needed for the Swift Slough to remain minimally connected to the river. Dissolved oxygen declines to lethal levels.
6.3 kcfs	Level needed to maintain a healthy Swift Slough mussel population. Higher flows are needed when the floodplain has dried out or there are other changes in the vicinity of the controlling sill.
6.5 kcfs	Desired minimum flow from Jim Woodruff Dam (rather than the minimum flow of just 5,000 cfs)
8 kcfs	Most threatened Purple Bankclimber and endangered Fat Threeridge mussels inundated. Minimum flow needed to assure successful reproduction of listed mussels by maintaining host fish access to important spawning, rearing, and feeding habitats in the off channel and adjacent floodplain areas. Just several hundred acres of floodplain available for host fish.

About This Location

Latitude: 30.708056° N, Longitude: 84.865556° W, Horizontal Datum: NAD83/WGS84

River Stage Reference Frame	Gauge Height	Flood Stage	Uses
NWS stage	0 ft	66 ft	Interpreting hydrographs and NWS watch, warnings, and forecasts, and inundation maps
Vertical Datum	Elevation (gauge height = 0)	Elevation (gauge height = flood stage)	Elevation information source
NAVD88	Not Available	Not Available	Survey grade GPS equipment, FEMA flood plain maps, newer USGS topographic maps
NGVD 29	0 ft	66 ft	Older USGS topographic maps, NGVD29 benchmarks
MSL	Not Available	Not Available	Older USGS topographic maps, MSL benchmarks
Other	Not Available	Not Available

Other Data Sources:

Additional Information

USGS automatic 15 minute gage data from Sneads is used for Woodruff Tailwater. Twice daily manual measurement of tailwater at Woodruff Dam serves as automatic backup if the Sneads gage does not report. CHAF1 Chattahoochee gage about 1/2 mile downstream also provides 15 minute data as a third backup to Sneads Woodruff Tailwater.

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Collaborative Agencies

The National Weather Service prepares its forecasts and other services in collaboration with agencies like the US Geological Survey, US Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Natural Resource Conservation Service, National Park Service, ALERT Users Group, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and many state and local emergency managers across the country. For details, please click here.

NWS Information

National Weather Service
Tallahassee Weather Forecast Office
Love Building FL State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4509
(850) 942-8833
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Page last modified: 13-Mar-2013 6:28 PM

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Over 200 USGS real-time streamgages used to support NWS river forecasts and warnings are at risk of being discontinued. Click here for more information from the USGS...