Birch Branch at Showell water level

Name: Birch Branch at Showell 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, Birch Branch, Maryland, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

3.47ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:45 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 1.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

Birch Branch at Showell is running below normal at 3.47 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 3.45 ft and 3.50 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: 10.66 ftAugust 26, 2012

Floating and fishing near Birch Branch at Showell

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: Stage sensor operating limit.
11.50 ft: Water begins to inundate the bridge crossing Brich Branch on US Highway 113.
10.66 ft: Highest recorded water stage height 8/26/2012.
3.47 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.66 ft	August 26, 2012
2	10.18 ft	August 12, 2017
3	10.16 ft	October 29, 2012
4	9.99 ft	August 1, 2013
5	9.97 ft	December 5, 2020
6	9.67 ft	July 16, 2023
7	9.66 ft	December 18, 2023
8	9.63 ft	September 29, 2016
9	9.50 ft	November 12, 2009
10	9.46 ft	May 18, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.16 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 59° 43° – Wind 14 mph

19 Mon 60° 47° – Wind 19 mph

20 Tue 67° 51° – Wind 16 mph

21 Wed 61° 51° – Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 65° 47° – Wind 13 mph

23 Fri 64° 48° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 62° 52° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:19 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min First quarter 56%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Pocomoke River near WillardsRiver gauge, Pocomoke River	19.1 cfs	Normal	−2.0 cfs	6 mi
Beaverdam Ditch near MillvilleRiver gauge, Beaverdam Ditch	1.0 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	9 mi
Millsboro Pond Outlet at MillsboroRiver gauge, Millsboro Pond Outlet	33.4 cfs	Normal	−5.7 cfs	13 mi
Nassawango Creek near Snow HillRiver gauge, Nassawango Creek	2.38 ft	Below flood stage	−0.24 ft	19 mi
Manokin Branch near Princess AnneRiver gauge, Manokin Branch	3.4 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	28 mi
Nanticoke River near BridgevilleRiver gauge, Nanticoke River	4.41 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	29 mi
Chicamacomico River near SalemRiver gauge, Chicamacomico River	7.5 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	37 mi
Beaverdam Branch at HoustonRiver gauge, Beaverdam Branch	1.5 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	38 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 Birch Branch at Showell today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:45 AM EDT, the water level was 3.47 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Birch Branch at Showell rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Birch Branch at Showell normal?

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 Birch Branch at Showell?

The highest level on record is 10.66 ft on August 26, 2012.

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:0148471320 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.40933, -75.21239 (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	3.47 ft	2026-10-19 04:45	Provisional
Flow	1.0 cfs	2026-10-19 04:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Birch Branch at Showell (usgs:0148471320). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/birch-branch-at-showell

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