South F South Branch Potomac River near Moorefield water level

Name: South F South Branch Potomac River near Moorefield 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 South Branch Potomac River, West Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.29ft Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 130 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.00 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:43 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The South F South Branch Potomac River near Moorefield is at 3.29 ft, in the normal range.

It is 6.71 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.09 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.00 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 3.29 ft and 3.92 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 19.99 ftNovember 5, 1985
Forecast peak: 3.30 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM

Floating and fishing near South F South Branch Potomac River near Moorefield

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

Flood stage here is 10.00 ft, 6.71 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

20.00 ft: Near record flooding expected. The entire town on the left bank of the South Fork will be flooded. Water will begin to inundate Washington and Elm, Winchester and North Main, and Ashley and Spring Streets.
16.00 ft: Narly half of the town will be inundated. Maple Avenue will be flooded north of Jackson to the intersection with Spring Avenue. Kuyendall Lane and Main Street will be under water and a large part of Main Street and adjacent roads will be inundated. Water will be approaching the main floor of the chicken processing plant.
14.50 ft: Water reaches the railroad bridge just south of town.
14.00 ft: Water will be approaching the northern boundary of the business district.
12.00 ft: Water will begin to inundate the sewage treatment plant. Water begins to flood Town Run Road and areas from the high school northward begin to flood. On the south end of town, Rohrbaugh Street south of the railroad tracks will begin to flood.
10.00 ft: Water begins to flood pastureland south of town.
8.00 ft: The river overflows mainly low lying areas.
3.29 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: 7 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.99 ft	November 5, 1985
2	16.10 ft	June 18, 1949
3	14.90 ft	March 17, 1936
4	13.50 ft	March 29, 1924
5	12.27 ft	September 7, 1996
6	12.14 ft	October 16, 1954
7	11.56 ft	October 6, 1972
8	11.23 ft	August 18, 1955
9	11.07 ft	May 22, 1942
10	10.94 ft	September 19, 2003

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 67° 42° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 64° 44° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 66° 45° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 63° 41° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 62° 38° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 68° 40° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 72° 44° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the South F South Branch Potomac River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South F South Branch Potomac River at BrandywineRiver gauge, South F South Branch Potomac River	1.73 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	31 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Branch Potomac River near PetersburgRiver gauge, South Branch Potomac River	5.28 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	12 mi
North F South Branch Potomac River at CabinsRiver gauge, North F South Branch Potomac River	316 cfs	Very high	−55.0 cfs	15 mi
Waites Run near WardensvilleRiver gauge, Waites Run	3.43 ft	Below flood stage	±0	19 mi
North F Shenandoah River at Mount JacksonRiver gauge, North F Shenandoah River	2.99 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	25 mi
Abram Creek at OakmontRiver gauge, Abram Creek	3.03 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	27 mi
North Branch Potomac River at SteyerRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.66 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	27 mi
Smith Creek near New MarketRiver gauge, Smith Creek	1.37 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	28 mi
Blackwater River at DavisRiver gauge, Blackwater River	2.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.21 ft	29 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South F South Branch Potomac River near Moorefield?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 6.71 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 South Branch Potomac River near Moorefield today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT, the water level was 3.29 ft. Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is South F South Branch Potomac River near Moorefield rising or falling?

Down 0.09 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.59 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South F South Branch Potomac River near Moorefield normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South F South Branch Potomac River near Moorefield?

The highest level on record is 19.99 ft on November 5, 1985.

Is South F South Branch Potomac River near Moorefield expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.00 ft by Friday, October 23 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01608000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.01233, -78.95614 (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	3.29 ft	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional
Flow	130 cfs	2026-10-21 04:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South F South Branch Potomac River near Moorefield (usgs:01608000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/west-virginia/south-f-south-branch-potomac-river-near-moorefield

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