Peachtree Creek Peachtree Creek is a major stream in Atlanta . It flows for 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 pines 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 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 , 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 ) . Streamflow and flooding . Since 1912 , the stream gauge 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 , at above mean sea level . A 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 . 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 depth , and due to the heavy urbanization in the area , it often reaches above this mark during heavy storms . Peachtree Creek suffered massive flooding after Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 . Late on September 16 , 2004 , it reached a stage of , a flow of 14 , 200 cubic feet ( 106 , 223 gallons ) or 402 cubic meters ( 402 , 100 liters ) per second , and a width of , 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 . 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 per second , and a depth of about . 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 on September 21 , 2009 at 9 : 15 pm , and causing water to flow over the bridge . The North Fork reached a record of at 7 : 15pm , topping the previous record of in September 2004 . The South Fork reached its third - highest ever at 5 : 45pm , the record being a flood that brought it to on March 16 , 1976 . 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 .