Brandywine Creek at Wilmington water level

Name: Brandywine Creek at Wilmington water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Brandywine Creek, Delaware, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

18.69ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:30 PM EDT (30 min ago)

Flow: 260 cfs
Water temperature: 55 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 18.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:24 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Brandywine Creek at Wilmington, where the gauge shows 18.69 ft.

It is 5.81 ft below the flood stage of 24.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 18.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 18.69 ft – 18.86 ft.

The sensor also reports a water temperature of 55 °F.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Forecast peak: 18.70 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 24.50 ft.

What happens at each level

30.50 ft: Roughly a 20 block radius on both sides of the river floods. Flooding extends to Vandever Avenue on the north side and to 14th Street on the south side. Portions of Governor Printz Boulevard floods. The North Market Street Bridge is closed.
29.50 ft: South Park Drive between Market Street and Van Buren Street and North Park Drive between Van Buren and the Swinging Bridge are closed due to flooding. The East 7th Street/7th Street Penninsula floods. Clifford Brown Walk, between East 14th Street and East 16th Street floods.
27.50 ft: Widespread flooding occurs along the creek in Wilmington. Rockland Road from Black Gates Road to Country Club Drive is flooded as is Rockland Road from Adams Drive to Mt. Lebanon Road. The 1300 block of East 12th Street is flooded impacting access to I-495.
27.00 ft: Serious flooding at the Dupont Experimental Station. Historic Breck's Mill area in Montchanin experiences significant flooding. Hagley Creek Road as well as Barley Mill Road are flooded. The Post Office is flooded as is the museum and library.
26.00 ft: Ramsey Road is subject to closures between Del. 92 and Beaver Dam Road as the Brandywine backs up into Ransey Run.
25.00 ft: Some flooding begins in the historic Breck's Mill area in Montchanin.
24.50 ft: North Park Drive, west of North Market Street, in Brandywine State Park is subject to flooding and closures.
22.00 ft: Minor flooding begins along the creek in the Brandywine State Park.
18.69 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.76 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 62° 40° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 67° 49° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 62° 48° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 65° 46° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 61° 49° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 60° 45° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 61° 44° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:17 AM Sunset 06:19 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on Brandywine Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Brandywine Creek at Chadds FordRiver gauge, Brandywine Creek	1.94 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Shellpot Creek at WilmingtonRiver gauge, Shellpot Creek	2.8 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	3.1 mi
Red Clay Creek at WooddaleRiver gauge, Red Clay Creek	2.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	3.2 mi
Calf Run at MarshalltonRiver gauge, Calf Run	0.4 cfs	Very high	±0	4.9 mi
Red Clay Creek near StantonRiver gauge, Red Clay Creek	7.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	5.0 mi
Red Clay Creek near Kennett SquareRiver gauge, Red Clay Creek	24.3 cfs	Normal	−2.4 cfs	7 mi
White Clay Creek near NewarkRiver gauge, White Clay Creek	5.13 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	7 mi
Pike Creek near NewarkRiver gauge, Pike Creek	3.5 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	8 mi
White Clay Creek near StrickersvilleRiver gauge, White Clay Creek	3.15 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Brandywine Creek at Wilmington?

The official flood stage is 24.50 ft. The level is currently 5.81 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Brandywine Creek at Wilmington today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:30 PM EDT, the water level was 18.69 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Brandywine Creek at Wilmington rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Brandywine Creek at Wilmington normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

Is Brandywine Creek at Wilmington expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 18.70 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01481500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.76950, -75.57669 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	18.69 ft	2026-10-19 22:30	Provisional
Flow	260 cfs	2026-10-19 22:30	Provisional
Water temperature	55 °F	2026-10-19 22:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Brandywine Creek at Wilmington (usgs:01481500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/delaware/brandywine-creek-at-wilmington

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer