North Branch Potomac River at Luke water level

Name: North Branch Potomac River at Luke 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

2.03ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 05:00 PM EDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 455 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:19 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The North Branch Potomac River at Luke is at 2.03 ft, in the normal range.

It is 8.47 ft below the flood stage of 10.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 2.02 ft and 2.06 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 17.15 ftOctober 15, 1954
Forecast peak: 2.00 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near North Branch Potomac River at Luke

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

Flood stage here is 10.50 ft, 8.47 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: Water overtops the railroad bridges at the old paper mill.
17.00 ft: Levees protect the old paper mill at Luke up to approximately this level. If water reaches the top of the levee, water may affect structures.
16.00 ft: Water reaches the railroad tracks in the town of Westernport.
15.00 ft: Significant flooding is occurring in Westernport and Piedmont, with buildings and roads flooded.
13.50 ft: Maryland Route 135 begins to flood west of the town of Luke. Water also reaches the underside of railroad bridges near the old paper mill.
12.50 ft: Backwater from the Potomac begins to flood the town of Westernport. Portions of Maryland Route 135 east of downtown may be affected, and water will approach Westernport Elementary School. This flooding will be more severe if Georges Creek is also in flood.
12.00 ft: Floodwaters begin to affect portions of Piedmont, West Virginia.
10.50 ft: If water levels are elevated on Georges Creek, a combination of the creek and backwater from the Potomac will begin to flood the town of Westernport. Portions of Maryland Route 135 may be affected, and water will approach Westernport Elementary School.
7.00 ft: Water begins to flow over the dam near the old paper mill in Luke. No flooding is occurring.
2.03 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	17.15 ft	October 15, 1954
2	17.00 ft	March 25, 1924
3	16.76 ft	March 17, 1936
4	15.53 ft	August 17, 1955
5	14.87 ft	July 3, 1978
6	14.21 ft	February 18, 1961
7	11.83 ft	March 5, 1963
8	11.48 ft	August 6, 1956
9	11.13 ft	March 7, 1967
10	10.84 ft	May 24, 1968

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 55° 36° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 63° 40° – Wind 7 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° 37° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 62%

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	2.73 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	18 mi
North Branch Potomac River at KitzmillerRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	3.03 ft	Below flood stage	−0.13 ft	9 mi
North Branch Potomac River at BarnumRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	351 cfs	High	−9.0 cfs	3.4 mi
North Branch Potomac River near CumberlandRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	18 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Georges Creek at FranklinRiver gauge, Georges Creek	2.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	1.7 mi
Savage River below Savage River Dam near BloomingtonRiver gauge, Savage River	74.2 cfs	Normal	±0	3.6 mi
Savage River near BartonRiver gauge, Savage River	26.9 cfs	Normal	−3.6 cfs	7 mi
Abram Creek at OakmontRiver gauge, Abram Creek	3.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	10 mi
North Glade Run near SwantonRiver gauge, North Glade Run	2.4 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	10 mi
Patterson Creek near HeadsvilleRiver gauge, Patterson Creek	3.54 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	13 mi
Cherry Creek at State Park Road near McHenryRiver gauge, Cherry Creek	11.1 cfs	Normal	−1.6 cfs	14 mi
Arrowhead Run at ThayervilleRiver gauge, Arrowhead Run	0.8 cfs	High	−0.1 cfs	14 mi

Questions and answers

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

The official flood stage is 10.50 ft. The level is currently 8.47 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 Luke today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 05:00 PM EDT, the water level was 2.03 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is North Branch Potomac River at Luke rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of North Branch Potomac River at Luke 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 Luke?

The highest level on record is 17.15 ft on October 15, 1954.

Is North Branch Potomac River at Luke expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.00 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01598500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.47897, -79.06378 (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	2.03 ft	2026-10-19 21:00	Provisional
Flow	455 cfs	2026-10-19 21:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Branch Potomac River at Luke (usgs:01598500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/north-branch-potomac-river-at-luke

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