South Branch Potomac River at Franklin water level

Name: South Branch Potomac River at Franklin 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 Potomac River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.14ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:35 PM EDT (21 min ago)

Flow: 120 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:43 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The South Branch Potomac River at Franklin is at 2.14 ft, in the normal range.

It is 4.86 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 2.14 ft and 2.55 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 22.58 ftNovember 4, 1985
Forecast peak: 2.10 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near South Branch Potomac River at Franklin

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

Flood stage here is 7.00 ft, 4.86 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: The lowest end of the Route 220/12 bridge begins to flood.
11.00 ft: Homes along Dickenson Mountain Road are flooded.
9.00 ft: Several roads in or near Franklin are flooded, including Dickenson Mountain Road (Route 220/12), parts of US Route 220, County Route 220/13, and Taylor Hollow Road.
8.00 ft: The Franklin city park begins to flood.
7.00 ft: A low spot on Dickenson Mountain Road (Route 220/12) 300 feet downstream from the bridge begins to flood.
6.50 ft: Water begins to cover Taylor Hollow Road in Franklin.
5.00 ft: Water begins to overflow the low water crossing on County Route 220/12 at the south end of town.
2.14 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 14 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.58 ft	November 4, 1985
2	19.16 ft	September 6, 1996
3	16.06 ft	January 19, 1996
4	12.26 ft	November 19, 2003
5	12.14 ft	September 19, 2003
6	11.40 ft	June 17, 1949
7	9.98 ft	May 17, 1996
8	9.71 ft	April 16, 1993
9	9.52 ft	March 2, 2007
10	9.15 ft	January 26, 1980

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.13 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 62° 38° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 59° 38° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 67° 38° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 62° 41° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 63° 38° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 66° 41° – Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 69° 45° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:34 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the South Branch Potomac River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Branch Potomac River near PetersburgRiver gauge, South Branch Potomac River	5.32 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	26 mi
South Branch Potomac River near MoorefieldRiver gauge, South Branch Potomac River	8.06 ft	No reference yet	−0.16 ft	38 mi
South Branch Potomac River near SpringfieldRiver gauge, South Branch Potomac River	2.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	67 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South F South Branch Potomac River at BrandywineRiver gauge, South F South Branch Potomac River	1.75 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	5.1 mi
North River near StokesvilleRiver gauge, North River	31.4 cfs	High	−5.0 cfs	21 mi
Muddy Creek at Mount ClintonRiver gauge, Muddy Creek	2.64 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	23 mi
Shavers Fork at BemisRiver gauge, Shavers Fork	4.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	25 mi
North F South Branch Potomac River at CabinsRiver gauge, North F South Branch Potomac River	345 cfs	High	−69.0 cfs	25 mi
Greenbrier River at DurbinRiver gauge, Greenbrier River	1.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	27 mi
Dry Fork at GladwinRiver gauge, Dry Fork	4.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.35 ft	28 mi
Shavers Fork near Cheat BridgeRiver gauge, Shavers Fork	5.20 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Branch Potomac River at Franklin?

The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 4.86 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 Potomac River at Franklin today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:35 PM EDT, the water level was 2.14 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South Branch Potomac River at Franklin rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of South Branch Potomac River at Franklin normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Branch Potomac River at Franklin?

The highest level on record is 22.58 ft on November 4, 1985.

Is South Branch Potomac River at Franklin expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01605500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.63567, -79.33782 (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	2.14 ft	2026-10-20 17:35	Provisional
Flow	120 cfs	2026-10-20 17:35	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Branch Potomac River at Franklin (usgs:01605500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/south-branch-potomac-river-at-franklin

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