Hawlings River near Sandy Spring water level

Name: Hawlings River near Sandy Spring 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, Hawlings River, Maryland, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

0.55ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 07:45 AM EDT (46 min ago)

Flow: 13.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Hawlings River near Sandy Spring is at 0.55 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.95 ft below the flood stage of 6.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 0.53 ft and 1.27 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: 9.24 ftJanuary 19, 1996

Floating and fishing near Hawlings River near Sandy Spring

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

Flood stage here is 6.50 ft, 5.95 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: New Hampshire Avenue floods at the Hawlings River.
7.50 ft: Gold Mine Road floods at the Hawlings River.
6.50 ft: Brighton Dam Road floods at the Hawlings River.
0.55 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.24 ft	January 19, 1996
2	8.80 ft	September 6, 1979
3	8.79 ft	June 22, 2001
4	8.55 ft	June 23, 1998
5	8.35 ft	May 6, 1989
6	8.33 ft	November 28, 1993
7	8.32 ft	December 11, 2003
8	8.19 ft	April 30, 2014
9	8.06 ft	June 26, 2006
10	7.99 ft	October 23, 1990

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.11 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 59° 38° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 64° 38° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 66° 49° – Wind 13 mph

21 Wed 64° 46° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 65° 44° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 64° 47° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 62° 45° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:22 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 59%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Patuxent River below Brighton Dam near Brighton MDRiver gauge, Patuxent River	1.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	1.5 mi
Patuxent River near UnityRiver gauge, Patuxent River	2.14 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	4.8 mi
Cattail Creek near GlenwoodRiver gauge, Cattail Creek	12.7 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	5.8 mi
Paint Branch Tributary near ColesvilleRiver gauge, Paint Branch Tributary	1.60 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	6.2 mi
Northwest Branch Anacostia River near ColesvilleRiver gauge, Northwest Branch Anacostia River	1.45 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	8 mi
Turkey Branch near RockvilleRiver gauge, Turkey Branch	4.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	8 mi
Patuxent River near LaurelRiver gauge, Patuxent River	4.29 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Little Patuxent River at GuilfordRiver gauge, Little Patuxent River	2.17 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	9 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Hawlings River near Sandy Spring?

The official flood stage is 6.50 ft. The level is currently 5.95 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 Hawlings River near Sandy Spring today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:45 AM EDT, the water level was 0.55 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Hawlings River near Sandy Spring rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Hawlings River near Sandy Spring normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Hawlings River near Sandy Spring?

The highest level on record is 9.24 ft on January 19, 1996.

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:01591700 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.17453, -77.02142 (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	0.55 ft	2026-10-19 11:45	Provisional
Flow	13.8 cfs	2026-10-19 11:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Hawlings River near Sandy Spring (usgs:01591700). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/hawlings-river-near-sandy-spring

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