Noses Creek facts for kids

Noses Creek is a stream in Cobb County, Georgia, USA. It is about 14.5-mile-long (23.3 km). This creek is an important part of the larger Sweetwater Creek. Sweetwater Creek then flows into the Chattahoochee River. Noses Creek starts between Kennesaw and Marietta. It flows generally southwest until it reaches an area northwest of Austell.

How Noses Creek Got Its Name

The creek was named after Chief Noses. He was a Native American leader from the Cherokee tribe. Chief Noses lived in this area in the early 1800s.

Streams That Join Noses Creek

Several smaller streams flow into Noses Creek. These are called tributaries. There are three main ones:

• Ward Creek starts near Marietta's town square. It flows towards the southwest.
• Olley Creek begins south of Marietta's main business area. It also flows southwest.
• Mud Creek is another important tributary. It starts near the intersection of Stilesboro Road and Due West Road. Mud Creek ends near Barrett Parkway and Macland Road. A long bridge, called a viaduct, carries Barrett Parkway over Ward Creek and Noses Creek. This bridge was built in the mid-1990s.

Keeping an Eye on the Water

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) helps watch the water levels. They have two special tools called stream gauges in the Noses Creek area.

• One gauge is on Noses Creek itself, near Powder Springs Road. It is called NOSG1.
• The other gauge is on Olley Creek, near Clay Road. It is called OLYG1. These gauges help scientists understand how much water is flowing.

The Big Flood of 2009

A very large flood happened in 2009. This event is known as the 2009 Atlanta floods. During this time, Noses Creek rose to twice its normal flood stage. Many other streams in the area also flooded.

Impact on Local Buildings

The flood waters covered the building for radio station WDWD AM 590. This caused the station to go off the air for a week. Experts had to clean and dry the radio transmitter and other equipment. The equipment had been turned off just before the flood hit.

Right across the creek, Clarkdale Elementary School was also flooded. The water reached almost up to its roof. Students had been safely evacuated earlier that day. The school building was badly damaged and will be rebuilt in a new location. Experts said the original spot was outside the 100-year floodplain. This means a flood of that size was expected to happen only once every 100 years. However, the 2009 flood was much bigger. It was considered a "500-year" to "10,000-year" flood event.