South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington water level

Name: South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington 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, South Branch Pawtuxet River, Rhode Island, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.85ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 07:45 PM EDT (2 hours ago)

Flow: 121 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington reads 1.85 ft, a normal level.

It is 2.15 ft below the flood stage of 4.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.84 ft and 2.03 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 9.22 ftMarch 31, 2010

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 4.00 ft, still 2.15 ft away.

What happens at each level

4.00 ft: Minor flooding is expected at this location in Washington.
1.85 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.22 ft	March 31, 2010
2	5.44 ft	March 15, 2010
3	5.30 ft	June 6, 1982
4	5.13 ft	March 18, 1968
5	4.95 ft	January 25, 1979
6	4.86 ft	October 16, 2005
7	4.75 ft	April 25, 1983
8	4.74 ft	December 19, 2023
9	4.66 ft	March 22, 1980
10	4.48 ft	January 14, 2024

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.06 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 61° 40° – Wind 17 mph

21 Wed 50° 44° – Wind 16 mph

22 Thu 61° 44° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 55° 39° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 60° 37° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 64° 41° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 68° 46° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 05:57 PM Daylight 10 hr, 52 min Waxing gibbous 73%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Branch Pawtuxet River at FiskevilleRiver gauge, North Branch Pawtuxet River	30.8 cfs	Very low	±0	3.1 mi
Nooseneck River at NooseneckRiver gauge, Nooseneck River	15.6 cfs	Normal	−1.1 cfs	5.6 mi
Hunt R 250 Fort Ds Fry Brk at FrenchtownRiver gauge, Hunt R 250 Fort Ds Fry Brk	26.2 cfs	High	−2.2 cfs	6.1 mi
Hunt River near East GreenwichRiver gauge, Hunt River	48.5 cfs	High	−2.9 cfs	7 mi
Quonopaug Brook at RT 116 near North ScituateRiver gauge, Quonopaug Brook	3.5 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	7 mi
Pawtuxet River at CranstonRiver gauge, Pawtuxet River	4.33 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	8 mi
Westconnaug Stream at Plainfield PikeRiver gauge, Westconnaug Stream	6.8 cfs	Normal	−1.0 cfs	8 mi
Cork Brook at Rockland Scituate Road near ClayvilleRiver gauge, Cork Brook	1.5 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	9 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington?

The official flood stage is 4.00 ft. The level is currently 2.15 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 South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 07:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.85 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington?

The highest level on record is 9.22 ft on March 31, 2010.

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:01116000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.69010, -71.56590 (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	1.85 ft	2026-10-20 23:45	Provisional
Flow	121 cfs	2026-10-20 23:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Branch Pawtuxet River at Washington (usgs:01116000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/rhode-island/south-branch-pawtuxet-river-at-washington

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