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Little Patuxent River at Guilford water level

River gauge, Little Patuxent River, Maryland, United States

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Right now

Below flood stage

Water level

2.08ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
19.2 cfs
10 20 Highest onrecord 18.38 ft Minor floodstage 12.00 ft

History

History
2.02.53.0ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Oct 202.02.53.0ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 20
Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Little Patuxent River at Guilford is at 2.08 ft, in the normal range.

It is 9.92 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.08 ft and 3.28 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
18.38 ftJune 22, 1972

Floating and fishing near Little Patuxent River at Guilford

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

Flood stage here is 12.00 ft, 9.92 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
Both US 29 bridges over the Little Patuxent are flooded. Water covers several other roads and numerous trails and footbridges near the river.
18.00 ft
Water begins to cover the US 29 southbound bridge over the Little Patuxent in Columbia. Water approaches homes in a neighborhood just downstream.
15.00 ft
Floodwater approaches US 29 in Columbia and begins to cover Vollmerhausen Road near Savage.
13.00 ft
Water approaches the very end of Owen Brown Road.
12.00 ft
Water covers the bridge at South Entrance Road. Several trail bridges also begin to flood.
9.50 ft
Large parts of the Patuxent Branch Trail are completely flooded along with several trail bridges between Old Guilford Road and South Carlinda Avenue.
8.00 ft
Several parts of the Patuxent Branch Trail start to flood near the Little Patuxent River.
2.08 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

RankLevelDate
118.38 ftJune 22, 1972
215.23 ftMay 28, 2018
315.09 ftJune 25, 2006
414.97 ftJuly 31, 2016
514.06 ftSeptember 7, 2011
614.02 ftMay 1, 2014
713.39 ftSeptember 26, 1975
813.26 ftSeptember 1, 1952
913.16 ftMay 6, 1989
1012.84 ftSeptember 6, 1979

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.24 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 57° 38° – Wind 10 mph
19 Mon 63° 41° – Wind 11 mph
20 Tue 68° 50° – Wind 12 mph
21 Wed 65° 49° – Wind 9 mph
22 Thu 65° 47° – Wind 11 mph
23 Fri 65° 50° – Wind 7 mph
24 Sat 62° 48° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:23 PM Daylight 11 hr Waxing gibbous 71%

Map

Other gauges on the Little Patuxent River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Little Patuxent River at SavageRiver gauge, Little Patuxent River 3.12 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 3.0 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Patuxent River near LaurelRiver gauge, Patuxent River 4.28 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 3.8 mi
Patapsco River near CatonsvilleRiver gauge, Patapsco River 10.47 ft Below flood stage −0.03 ft 7 mi
Patapsco River near ElkridgeRiver gauge, Patapsco River 5.55 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 8 mi
Patuxent River below Brighton Dam near Brighton MDRiver gauge, Patuxent River 1.61 ft Below flood stage +0.02 ft 8 mi
Hawlings River near Sandy SpringRiver gauge, Hawlings River 0.52 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 9 mi
Paint Branch Tributary near ColesvilleRiver gauge, Paint Branch Tributary 1.59 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 9 mi
East Branch Herbert Run at ArbutusRiver gauge, East Branch Herbert Run 0.86 ft Below flood stage ±0 10 mi
Patapsco River at HollofieldRiver gauge, Patapsco River 1.65 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 10 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Little Patuxent River at Guilford?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 9.92 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 Little Patuxent River at Guilford today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 04:00 PM EDT, the water level was 2.08 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Little Patuxent River at Guilford rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Little Patuxent River at Guilford normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Little Patuxent River at Guilford?

The highest level on record is 18.38 ft on June 22, 1972.

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:01593500 (Agency page)
Coordinates
39.16775, -76.85125 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 2.08 ft 2026-10-20 20:00 Provisional
Flow 19.2 cfs 2026-10-20 20:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Little Patuxent River at Guilford (usgs:01593500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/little-patuxent-river-at-guilford

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.