North Branch Potomac River at Steyer water level

Name: North Branch Potomac River at Steyer 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

2.73ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 PM EDT (24 min ago)

Flow: 146 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at North Branch Potomac River at Steyer reads 2.73 ft, a normal level.

It is 6.27 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 2.73 ft and 3.05 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: 13.14 ftNovember 5, 1985

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 9.00 ft, still 6.27 ft away.

What happens at each level

13.00 ft: Several homes are flooded near the river. Althouse Mill Road is flooded near Bayard.
12.00 ft: Water approaches homes near Bayard. Yards and outbuildings are flooded near Wilson, WV and between Gorman and Steyer, MD.
9.00 ft: Water begins to cover a portion of Althouse Mill Road near Bayard.
2.73 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.14 ft	November 5, 1985
2	13.01 ft	June 30, 2019
3	13.00 ft	October 15, 1954
4	12.12 ft	May 31, 1985
5	11.75 ft	January 19, 1996
6	11.12 ft	July 29, 2017
7	10.78 ft	September 19, 2003
8	10.40 ft	February 9, 1994
9	10.30 ft	July 3, 1978
10	9.91 ft	July 26, 2001

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.20 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 51° 33° – Wind 8 mph

19 Mon 58° 38° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 63° 40° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 63° 39° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 60° 38° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 60° 40° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 57° 35° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:33 AM Sunset 06:33 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 64%

Map

Other gauges on the North Branch Potomac River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Branch Potomac River at KitzmillerRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	3.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.11 ft	9 mi
North Branch Potomac River at BarnumRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	351 cfs	High	−9.0 cfs	14 mi
North Branch Potomac River at LukeRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	18 mi
North Branch Potomac River near CumberlandRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	36 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	8 mi
Youghiogheny River near OaklandRiver gauge, Youghiogheny River	199 cfs	High	−34.0 cfs	10 mi
Arrowhead Run at ThayervilleRiver gauge, Arrowhead Run	0.8 cfs	High	−0.1 cfs	14 mi
North Glade Run near SwantonRiver gauge, North Glade Run	2.4 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	14 mi
Blackwater River at DavisRiver gauge, Blackwater River	2.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.40 ft	15 mi
Cherry Creek at State Park Road near McHenryRiver gauge, Cherry Creek	11.1 cfs	Normal	−1.6 cfs	16 mi
Youghiogheny River near McHenryRiver gauge, Youghiogheny River	739 cfs	High	+353 cfs	16 mi
Savage River below Savage River Dam near BloomingtonRiver gauge, Savage River	74.2 cfs	Normal	±0	17 mi

Questions and answers

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

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 6.27 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 Steyer today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 09:00 PM EDT, the water level was 2.73 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is North Branch Potomac River at Steyer rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

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

The highest level on record is 13.14 ft on November 5, 1985.

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:01595000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.30189, -79.30689 (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	2.73 ft	2026-10-20 01:00	Provisional
Flow	146 cfs	2026-10-20 01:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Branch Potomac River at Steyer (usgs:01595000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/north-branch-potomac-river-at-steyer

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