Peachtree Creek
Encyclopedia
Peachtree Creek is a major stream
in Atlanta. It flows for 7.5 miles (12.1 km) almost due west into the Chattahoochee River
just south of Vinings
. Like other "Peachtree" names in the area, the name is most likely a corruption of "pitch
tree", from the area's many pine
s and their sticky sap
.
Peachtree Creek is an important part of the area history. Fort Peachtree was built near the creek and the Chattahoochee River
to guard against the Cherokee
, who were in the Cherokee County territory
northwest of the river. During the American Civil War
, the Battle of Peachtree Creek
was a major battle of the Atlanta Campaign
. Pace's Ferry
was built across the river near the creek, and Paces Ferry Road still runs roughly parallel to the creek. Another street, Peachtree Battle Avenue, runs in a similar fashion. Because it is usually called just Peachtree Battle (even by GDOT on its overpass
of Interstate 75
), that part of Buckhead
is often called the same, which in turn gave rise to a local play
called Peachtree Battle.
Its two major tributaries are the North Fork Peachtree Creek and the South Fork Peachtree Creek. The northern fork begins at the edge of Gwinnett County
and flows 13.5 miles (21.7 km) southwest, almost perfectly parallel to Interstate 85
through DeKalb County
. It ends at its confluence
with the southern fork, next to where the highway meets Georgia 400. The southern fork, 15.4 miles (24.8 km) long, begins in Tucker
and flows south then west, passing through Clarkston
, then crossing under part of the Stone Mountain Freeway
and quickly back again, west (inside) of the Perimeter. It then flows twice through the northern part of the campus of Emory University
and its Wesley Woods
section. The southern edge of its basin
borders the Eastern Continental Divide
, including Peavine Creek (which ends next to WAGA-TV
) and its tributary Lullwater Creek, which originates in the Lake Claire
neighborhood of Atlanta and drains Fernbank Forest
and the Druid Hills Golf Club
north of Ponce de Leon Avenue. Other major nearby creeks in Atlanta include Nancy Creek
(which flows into Peachtree Creek just before the Chattahoochee River), and Proctor Creek (which flows directly into the Chattahoochee).
on Peachtree Creek (AANG1) has been located where it crosses Northside Drive just east of Interstate 75
, just northwest of the Brookwood Split (where Interstate 85
leaves 75). It is located at 33°49′10"N 84°24′28"W, at 764 feet (232.9 m) above mean sea level
. A 1 inches (2.5 cm) rainfall puts approximately 1.5 billion gallons or almost 6 billion liters into the watershed, by USGS calculations. That watershed (above the gauge only) is 86.8 square miles (224.8 km²). There is also water quality
monitoring equipment there, all transmitted to GOES
weather satellite
s and back down to the USGS in real time
. Prior to this current system, daily flow and water quality sampling were done as far back as 1958 and 1959, respectively. Records for this site are maintained by the USGS Georgia Water Science Center.
Flood stage
is 17 feet (5.2 m) depth, and due to the heavy urbanization
in the area, it often reaches above this mark during heavy storm
s. Peachtree Creek suffered massive flood
ing after Hurricane Frances
and Hurricane Ivan
in September 2004. Late on September 16, 2004, it reached a stage of 22.63 feet (6.9 m), a flow of 14,200 cubic feet (106,223 gallons) or 402 cubic meters (402,100 liters) per second, and a width of 450 feet (137.2 m), its highest official flood record ever, which actually washed away its gauge. The creek was about ten times its normal width, three times its normal speed, and 300 times its normal flow.
The worst flood ever occurred in 1919, when on January 29 (1/29) or December 9 (12/9) it reached a flow of about 21,000 cubic feet (160,000 gallons) or 600 cubic meters (600,000 liters) per second, and a stage
of 25.8 feet (7.9 m). Another flood occurred in 1912 just above the 2004 event, and another in 1915 just below it. (Prior to the 1940s, there are no records for depth.) Base flow for the stream is about 67 cubic feet (1.9 m³) per second, and a depth of about 3 foot (0.9144 m).
The 2009 Atlanta floods set new records for most streams in the area, and Peachtree Creek at Northside Drive came a close second place, reaching a height of 23.89 feet (7.3 m) on September 21, 2009 at 9:15 pm, and causing water to flow over the bridge. The North Fork reached a record of 18.07 feet (5.5 m) at 7:15pm, topping the previous record of 17.7 feet (5.4 m) in September 2004. The South Fork reached its third-highest ever at 15.21 feet (4.6 m) 5:45pm, the record being a flood that brought it to 16.35 feet (5 m) on March 16, 1976.http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/html/rivers090922.txt
The other stream gauges are SPJG1 on the South Fork "near Atlanta" at Johnson Road since April 2003, and NPBG1 also "near Atlanta" on the North Fork at Buford Highway
since May 2003, with another (NFPG1) on the North Fork further up "near Doraville
" at Graves Road since June 2001.
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
in Atlanta. It flows for 7.5 miles (12.1 km) almost due west into the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
just south of Vinings
Vinings, Georgia
Vinings is a census-designated place and an unincorporated town in Cobb County, Georgia, just across the Chattahoochee River from Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 9,734. It is located between the affluent West Paces Ferry section of Buckhead in northwest Atlanta,...
. Like other "Peachtree" names in the area, the name is most likely a corruption of "pitch
Pitch (resin)
Pitch is the name for any of a number of viscoelastic, solid polymers. Pitch can be made from petroleum products or plants. Petroleum-derived pitch is also called bitumen. Pitch produced from plants is also known as resin. Products made from plant resin are also known as rosin.Pitch was...
tree", from the area's many pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s and their sticky sap
Sap
Sap may refer to:* Plant sap, the fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant* Sap , a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia...
.
Peachtree Creek is an important part of the area history. Fort Peachtree was built near the creek and the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
to guard against the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, who were in the Cherokee County territory
Cherokee County, Georgia
As of the census of 2000, there were 141,903 people, 49,495 households, and 39,200 families residing in the county. The population density was 335 people per square mile . There were 51,937 housing units at an average density of 123 per square mile...
northwest of the river. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the Battle of Peachtree Creek
Battle of Peachtree Creek
The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought in Georgia on July 20, 1864, as part of the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. It was the first major attack by Lt. Gen. John B. Hood since taking command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. The attack was against Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's...
was a major battle of the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
. Pace's Ferry
Pace's Ferry
Through much of the 19th century, Pace's Ferry was an important ferry across the Chattahoochee River near Atlanta. Started in the early 1830s near Peachtree Creek, it was run by Hardy Pace, one of the city's founders...
was built across the river near the creek, and Paces Ferry Road still runs roughly parallel to the creek. Another street, Peachtree Battle Avenue, runs in a similar fashion. Because it is usually called just Peachtree Battle (even by GDOT on its overpass
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
of Interstate 75
Interstate 75 in Georgia
In the U.S. state of Georgia, Interstate 75 runs north–south along the U.S. Route 41 corridor on the western side of the state, passing through the cities of Valdosta, Macon and Atlanta. It is also designated — but not signed — as State Route 401...
), that part of Buckhead
Buckhead (Atlanta)
Buckhead is the uptown district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, comprising approximately the northern one-fifth of the city. Buckhead is a major commercial and financial center of the Southeast, and it is the third-largest business district in Atlanta, behind Downtown and Midtown...
is often called the same, which in turn gave rise to a local play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
called Peachtree Battle.
Its two major tributaries are the North Fork Peachtree Creek and the South Fork Peachtree Creek. The northern fork begins at the edge of Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County, Georgia
, Gwinnett County had a population of 805,321. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 53.3% white , 23.6% black , 2.7% Korean, 2.6% Asian Indian, 2.0% Vietnamese, 3.3% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.8% some other race and 3.1% from two or more races...
and flows 13.5 miles (21.7 km) southwest, almost perfectly parallel to Interstate 85
Interstate 85 in Georgia
In the U.S. state of Georgia, the major Interstate Highway, Interstate 85, runs northeast-southwest from the Alabama border near West Point, and Lanett, Ala., running through Metropolitan Atlanta, and traveling to the border with South Carolina, where it crosses the Savannah River near Lake Hartwell...
through DeKalb County
DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population of the county was 691,893 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is the city of Decatur. It is bordered to the west by Fulton County and contains roughly 10% of the city of Atlanta...
. It ends at its confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the southern fork, next to where the highway meets Georgia 400. The southern fork, 15.4 miles (24.8 km) long, begins in Tucker
Tucker, Georgia
Tucker is a census-designated place in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 27,581 at the 2010 Census. Although central Tucker, also known as "Main Street Tucker", is laid out as a planned "railroad town," it has never been formally incorporated. Municipal services such as...
and flows south then west, passing through Clarkston
Clarkston, Georgia
Clarkston is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 7,554 at the 2010 census. The city is home to the central campus of Georgia Perimeter College....
, then crossing under part of the Stone Mountain Freeway
Stone Mountain Freeway
The Stone Mountain Freeway is a limited-access highway that connects Interstate 285 on the east side of Atlanta, Georgia, with the suburbs of Stone Mountain and Snellville before transitioning into an arterial road that continues to Athens. The freeway is signed as U.S...
and quickly back again, west (inside) of the Perimeter. It then flows twice through the northern part of the campus of Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
and its Wesley Woods
Wesley Woods
Wesley WoodsWesley Woods was founded in 1954 by leaders of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church and Emory University to provide care for seniors unable to care for themselves. The Center began its affiliation with Emory’s Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center in the 1980s...
section. The southern edge of its basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
borders the Eastern Continental Divide
Eastern Continental Divide
The Eastern Continental Divide, in conjunction with other continental divides of North America, demarcates two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico watershed and the Atlantic Seaboard watershed. Prior to 1760, the divide represented the boundary between British and French colonial...
, including Peavine Creek (which ends next to WAGA-TV
WAGA-TV
WAGA-TV, virtual channel 5.1 is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Television Network and based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
) and its tributary Lullwater Creek, which originates in the Lake Claire
Lake Claire (Atlanta)
Lake Claire is a neighborhood in eastern Atlanta, Georgia, United States, comprising approximately 1,200 homes. It is entirely in the DeKalb County side of the city, east of Candler Park, north of Kirkwood, west of Decatur, and south of Druid Hills....
neighborhood of Atlanta and drains Fernbank Forest
Fernbank Forest
Fernbank Forest is a 65-acre mature mixed forest located at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta, Georgia. It has one of the few remnants of original forest vegetation in the Georgia Piedmont; as such, it has been extensively studied by scientists. Large specimens of white oak and tulip poplar,...
and the Druid Hills Golf Club
Druid Hills Golf Club
The Druid Hills Golf Club is a private country club located on 740 Clifton Road, N.E., in the Druid Hills neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia.Founded in 1912, the club's facilities include golf, dining, tennis, fitness, and swimming. In 2003 the golf course underwent a major rehabilitation...
north of Ponce de Leon Avenue. Other major nearby creeks in Atlanta include Nancy Creek
Nancy Creek (Atlanta)
Nancy Creek is a stream in northern Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It begins in far northern DeKalb County, just north of Chamblee, and flows southwestward into Fulton County, through the far southeast corner of Sandy Springs, then through the Buckhead area of Atlanta. It empties into...
(which flows into Peachtree Creek just before the Chattahoochee River), and Proctor Creek (which flows directly into the Chattahoochee).
Streamflow and flooding
Since 1912, the stream gaugeStream gauge
A stream gauge, stream gage or gauging station is a location used by hydrologists or environmental scientists to monitor and test terrestrial bodies of water. Hydrometric measurements of water surface elevation and/or volumetric discharge are generally taken and observations of biota may also be...
on Peachtree Creek (AANG1) has been located where it crosses Northside Drive just east of Interstate 75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
, just northwest of the Brookwood Split (where Interstate 85
Interstate 85
Interstate 85 is a major interstate highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus interchanges with Interstate 95 in Petersburg, Virginia, near Richmond...
leaves 75). It is located at 33°49′10"N 84°24′28"W, at 764 feet (232.9 m) above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. A 1 inches (2.5 cm) rainfall puts approximately 1.5 billion gallons or almost 6 billion liters into the watershed, by USGS calculations. That watershed (above the gauge only) is 86.8 square miles (224.8 km²). There is also water quality
Water quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
monitoring equipment there, all transmitted to GOES
Goes
Goes is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands in Zuid-Beveland, in the province Zeeland. The city of Goes has approximately 27,000 residents.-History of Goes:...
weather satellite
Weather satellite
The weather satellite is a type of satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth. Satellites can be either polar orbiting, seeing the same swath of the Earth every 12 hours, or geostationary, hovering over the same spot on Earth by orbiting over the equator while...
s and back down to the USGS in real time
Real-time computing
In computer science, real-time computing , or reactive computing, is the study of hardware and software systems that are subject to a "real-time constraint"— e.g. operational deadlines from event to system response. Real-time programs must guarantee response within strict time constraints...
. Prior to this current system, daily flow and water quality sampling were done as far back as 1958 and 1959, respectively. Records for this site are maintained by the USGS Georgia Water Science Center.
Flood stage
Flood stage
Flood stage is the level at which the surface of a river, creek, or other body of water has risen to a sufficient level to cause damage or affects use of man-made structures...
is 17 feet (5.2 m) depth, and due to the heavy urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
in the area, it often reaches above this mark during heavy storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
s. Peachtree Creek suffered massive flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing after Hurricane Frances
Hurricane Frances
Hurricane Frances was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. The system crossing the open Atlantic during mid to late August, moving to the north of the Lesser Antilles while strengthening. Its outer bands affected Puerto...
and Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season...
in September 2004. Late on September 16, 2004, it reached a stage of 22.63 feet (6.9 m), a flow of 14,200 cubic feet (106,223 gallons) or 402 cubic meters (402,100 liters) per second, and a width of 450 feet (137.2 m), its highest official flood record ever, which actually washed away its gauge. The creek was about ten times its normal width, three times its normal speed, and 300 times its normal flow.
The worst flood ever occurred in 1919, when on January 29 (1/29) or December 9 (12/9) it reached a flow of about 21,000 cubic feet (160,000 gallons) or 600 cubic meters (600,000 liters) per second, and a stage
Stage (hydrology)
In hydrology, stage refers to the water level in a river or stream with respect to a chosen reference height. Stage is important because direct measurements of river discharge are very difficult while water surface elevation measurements are comparatively easy...
of 25.8 feet (7.9 m). Another flood occurred in 1912 just above the 2004 event, and another in 1915 just below it. (Prior to the 1940s, there are no records for depth.) Base flow for the stream is about 67 cubic feet (1.9 m³) per second, and a depth of about 3 foot (0.9144 m).
The 2009 Atlanta floods set new records for most streams in the area, and Peachtree Creek at Northside Drive came a close second place, reaching a height of 23.89 feet (7.3 m) on September 21, 2009 at 9:15 pm, and causing water to flow over the bridge. The North Fork reached a record of 18.07 feet (5.5 m) at 7:15pm, topping the previous record of 17.7 feet (5.4 m) in September 2004. The South Fork reached its third-highest ever at 15.21 feet (4.6 m) 5:45pm, the record being a flood that brought it to 16.35 feet (5 m) on March 16, 1976.http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/html/rivers090922.txt
The other stream gauges are SPJG1 on the South Fork "near Atlanta" at Johnson Road since April 2003, and NPBG1 also "near Atlanta" on the North Fork at Buford Highway
Buford Highway
Buford Highway is an international community along and on either side of a stretch of Georgia State Route 13 in DeKalb County, Georgia. It begins just north of Midtown Atlanta, continues northeast through the towns of Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Doraville, and ends northeast of the Perimeter at the...
since May 2003, with another (NFPG1) on the North Fork further up "near Doraville
Doraville, Georgia
Doraville is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 8,330.-History:Doraville was incorporated by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, approved December 15, 1871...
" at Graves Road since June 2001.
External links
- USGS site for Peachtree Creek
- Peachtree Creek, stream gauge at Northside Drive
- South Fork Peachtree Creek, stream gauge at Johnson Road
- North Fork Peachtree Creek, stream gauge at Buford Highway
- North Fork Peachtree Creek, stream gauge at Graves Road
- ISBN 0820329290 Peachtree Creek: A Natural and Unnatural History of Atlanta's Watershed by David R. Kaufman
- Peachtree Battle Alliance