North Branch Patapsco River at Cedarhurst water level

Name: North Branch Patapsco River at Cedarhurst 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, North Branch Patapsco River, Maryland, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.34ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:00 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 16.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Low water at North Branch Patapsco River at Cedarhurst: the gauge reads 1.34 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 1.33 ft – 1.57 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 20.75 ftJune 22, 1972

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	20.75 ft	June 22, 1972
2	16.59 ft	September 26, 1975
3	13.00 ft	July 26, 2018
4	11.27 ft	October 1, 1979
5	10.75 ft	February 12, 1985
6	10.38 ft	August 13, 1955
7	10.33 ft	January 19, 1996
8	10.28 ft	September 8, 2011
9	10.24 ft	May 6, 1989
10	10.07 ft	November 28, 1993

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 2.98 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 62° 36° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 67° 44° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 61° 42° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 62° 42° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 62° 44° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 58° 40° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 61° 41° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:21 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Beaver Run near FinksburgRiver gauge, Beaver Run	0.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	1.4 mi
Morgan Run near LouisvilleRiver gauge, Morgan Run	1.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	5.2 mi
Piney Run at DoverRiver gauge, Piney Run	1.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	6 mi
Gwynns Falls near DelightRiver gauge, Gwynns Falls	0.13 ft	Below flood stage	±0	7 mi
Cranberry Branch near WestminsterRiver gauge, Cranberry Branch	1.26 ft	Below flood stage	±0	8 mi
Red Run near Owings MillsRiver gauge, Red Run	2.7 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	9 mi
Georges Run near BeckleysvilleRiver gauge, Georges Run	0.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Pond Branch at Oregon RidgeRiver gauge, Pond Branch	0.0 cfs	Very low	±0	11 mi

Questions and answers

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 North Branch Patapsco River at Cedarhurst today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:00 PM EDT, the water level was 1.34 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is North Branch Patapsco River at Cedarhurst rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of North Branch Patapsco River at Cedarhurst normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at North Branch Patapsco River at Cedarhurst?

The highest level on record is 20.75 ft on June 22, 1972.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01586000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.50300, -76.88439 (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	1.34 ft	2026-10-21 00:00	Provisional
Flow	16.8 cfs	2026-10-21 00:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Branch Patapsco River at Cedarhurst (usgs:01586000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/north-branch-patapsco-river-at-cedarhurst

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