South F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near Waterford water level

Name: South F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near Waterford 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 F Catoctin Creek, Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

0.69ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT (27 min ago)

Flow: 4.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

South F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near Waterford is at 0.69 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.31 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 0.69 ft and 0.94 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: 12.10 ftSeptember 23, 2003

Floating and fishing near South F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near Waterford

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 8.00 ft, 7.31 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Water completely covers the Route 698 bridge and floods residences in Waterford.
17.00 ft: Water approaches Route 9 between Paeonian Springs and Hillsboro.
15.00 ft: Floodwaters approach the water treatment plant in Waterford.
10.00 ft: Water approaches a building on Main Street in Waterford.
9.00 ft: Portions of Route 662 begin to flood near the creek.
8.00 ft: Lowland fields near the creek flood.
0.69 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	12.10 ft	September 23, 2003
2	11.24 ft	September 28, 2004
3	11.05 ft	May 16, 2014
4	10.98 ft	October 30, 2012
5	10.49 ft	July 8, 2005
6	10.49 ft	May 12, 2008
7	10.44 ft	January 31, 2013
8	10.07 ft	September 30, 2015
9	9.78 ft	September 28, 2018
10	9.64 ft	August 22, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 66° 42° – Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 67° 39° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 61° 42° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 61° 37° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 64° 39° – Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 68° 41° – Wind 6 mph

27 Tue 70° 47° – Wind 12 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North F Catoctin Creek at RT 681 near WaterfordRiver gauge, North F Catoctin Creek	1.90 ft	Below flood stage	+0.05 ft	1.1 mi
Limestone Branch near LeesburgRiver gauge, Limestone Branch	0.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	4.6 mi
Catoctin Creek at TaylorstownRiver gauge, Catoctin Creek	2.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	4.9 mi
Potomac River at Point of RocksRiver gauge, Potomac River	2.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	7 mi
North F Goose Creek at RT 729 near LincolnRiver gauge, North F Goose Creek	1.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Piney Run near LovettsvilleRiver gauge, Piney Run	1.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Potomac River at Edwards Ferry near PoolesvilleRiver gauge, Potomac River	4.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	10 mi
Shenandoah River at MillvilleRiver gauge, Shenandoah River	2.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	11 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for South F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near Waterford?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 7.31 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 F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near Waterford today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 05:30 AM EDT, the water level was 0.69 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near Waterford rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.13 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near Waterford normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near Waterford?

The highest level on record is 12.10 ft on September 23, 2003.

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:01638350 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.19111, -77.61544 (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	0.69 ft	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional
Flow	4.6 cfs	2026-10-21 09:30	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/7211?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="South F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near Waterford water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near Waterford (usgs:01638350). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/south-f-catoctin-creek-at-rt-698-near-waterford

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