North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller water level

Name: North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller 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, North Branch Potomac River, Maryland, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.02ft Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT (19 min ago)

Flow: 327 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.60 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:19 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller is at 3.02 ft, in the normal range.

It is 5.98 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.08 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.60 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 3.02 ft and 3.45 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 14.85 ftNovember 5, 1985
Forecast peak: 3.00 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 PM

Floating and fishing near North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller

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

Flood stage here is 9.00 ft, 5.98 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Water reaches the bridge connecting Kitzmiller and Blaine over the North Branch.
20.00 ft: Levee systems protect the communities of Kitzmiller and Blaine to approximately this level.
19.00 ft: Water reaches the railroad tracks north of Blaine.
17.00 ft: Several homes outside the area of levee protection are flooded, north of Kitzmiller, between Kitzmiller and Shallmar, and in a low lying area upstream of Blaine.
15.00 ft: Water approaches buildings along East Main Street, outside the area of levee protection, in Kitzmiller.
14.00 ft: A portion of East Main Street, outside the area of levee protection, in Kitzmiller begins to flood.
12.00 ft: Portions of Shallmar Road near Shallmar are flooded.
9.00 ft: Low lying areas near the river around Kitzmiller are flooded.
8.00 ft: Water begins to overflow the banks near Kitzmiller.
3.02 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: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.85 ft	November 5, 1985
2	13.50 ft	October 15, 1954
3	13.40 ft	September 6, 1996
4	12.88 ft	January 19, 1996
5	12.80 ft	August 18, 1955
6	12.51 ft	September 19, 2003
7	11.87 ft	May 31, 1985
8	11.06 ft	February 9, 1994
9	11.00 ft	February 9, 1995
10	10.78 ft	July 3, 1978

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 55° 35° – Wind 5 mph

19 Mon 62° 40° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 66° 43° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 66° 42° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 64° 40° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 63° 43° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 59° 38° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:32 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 65%

Map

Other gauges on the North Branch Potomac River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Branch Potomac River at SteyerRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	9 mi
North Branch Potomac River at BarnumRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	351 cfs	High	−9.0 cfs	5.2 mi
North Branch Potomac River at LukeRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	9 mi
North Branch Potomac River near CumberlandRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	27 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Abram Creek at OakmontRiver gauge, Abram Creek	3.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	1.9 mi
Savage River below Savage River Dam near BloomingtonRiver gauge, Savage River	74.2 cfs	Normal	±0	8 mi
North Glade Run near SwantonRiver gauge, North Glade Run	2.4 cfs	Normal	−0.2 cfs	9 mi
Georges Creek at FranklinRiver gauge, Georges Creek	2.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Arrowhead Run at ThayervilleRiver gauge, Arrowhead Run	0.8 cfs	High	−0.1 cfs	11 mi
Cherry Creek at State Park Road near McHenryRiver gauge, Cherry Creek	11.1 cfs	Normal	−1.6 cfs	12 mi
Savage River near BartonRiver gauge, Savage River	25.2 cfs	Normal	−3.5 cfs	13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 5.98 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 North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT, the water level was 3.02 ft. Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller rising or falling?

Down 0.08 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller?

The highest level on record is 14.85 ft on November 5, 1985.

Is North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.60 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01595500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.39389, -79.18169 (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	3.02 ft	2026-10-20 03:45	Provisional
Flow	327 cfs	2026-10-20 03:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller (usgs:01595500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/north-branch-potomac-river-at-kitzmiller

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