North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland water level

Name: North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland 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

2.74ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 547 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.70 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:43 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland, where the gauge shows 2.74 ft.

It is 14.26 ft below the flood stage of 17.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.70 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 2.74 ft – 2.86 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 29.20 ftJune 1, 1889
Forecast peak: 2.70 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 17.00 ft.

What happens at each level

35.00 ft: Levees protect the city of Ridgeley, West Virginia to approximately this level.
31.00 ft: Levees protect the city of Cumberland to at least this level. Some areas are protected even higher.
30.00 ft: Levees protect the Cumberland water treatment plant to approximately this level.
27.00 ft: Water covers the C&O Canal towpath south of Cumberland.
25.00 ft: Water begins to flood homes in Wiley Ford, West Virginia.
23.00 ft: Water approaches homes on Canal Road in North Branch.
22.00 ft: Water reaches a substation in Wiley Ford, West Virginia. Water also approaches an outbuilding in Wiley Ford, and portions of Kelly Road in Cumberland and Canal Road in North Branch.
21.00 ft: Much of the Mexico Farms, West Virginia airstrip is flooded, and water approaches nearby structures.
20.00 ft: Water floods several areas of farmland east and southeast of Cumberland Regional Airport. Water also begins to flow into low lying areas south of Ridgeley, West Virginia that are not protected by the levee. However, no personal property is affected in this area.
19.00 ft: Water reaches the Gene Mason Sports Complex in Cumberland.
17.00 ft: A low spot on Airport Road in Wiley Ford, West Virginia is flooded. A livestock field southeast of the Cumberland Regional Airport floods.
15.00 ft: Water approaches the airstrip at the Mexico Farms, West Virginia airport.
2.74 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	29.20 ft	June 1, 1889
2	29.10 ft	March 17, 1936
3	28.40 ft	March 29, 1924
4	25.56 ft	January 19, 1996
5	25.10 ft	October 28, 1937
6	24.20 ft	April 26, 1937
7	24.04 ft	October 15, 1942
8	23.85 ft	October 16, 1954
9	23.58 ft	May 14, 2025
10	22.60 ft	August 18, 1955

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 68° 42° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 66° 42° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 69° 43° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 64° 44° – Wind 6 mph

24 Sat 64° 38° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 68° 41° – Wind 4 mph

26 Mon 72° 47° – Wind 3 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min Waxing gibbous 70%

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	2.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	36 mi
North Branch Potomac River at KitzmillerRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.97 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	27 mi
North Branch Potomac River at BarnumRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	360 cfs	High	+14.0 cfs	22 mi
North Branch Potomac River at LukeRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	±0	18 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wills Creek near CumberlandRiver gauge, Wills Creek	2.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	3.4 mi
Town Creek near OldtownRiver gauge, Town Creek	2.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Patterson Creek near HeadsvilleRiver gauge, Patterson Creek	3.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	13 mi
Wills Creek below HyndmanRiver gauge, Wills Creek	47.7 cfs	Normal	−4.6 cfs	13 mi
South Branch Potomac River near SpringfieldRiver gauge, South Branch Potomac River	2.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	14 mi
Georges Creek at FranklinRiver gauge, Georges Creek	2.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	17 mi
Savage River near BartonRiver gauge, Savage River	24.4 cfs	Normal	−2.5 cfs	18 mi
Potomac River at Paw PawRiver gauge, Potomac River	5.40 ft	Below flood stage	−0.30 ft	18 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland?

The official flood stage is 17.00 ft. The level is currently 14.26 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 near Cumberland today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT, the water level was 2.74 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland 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 near Cumberland?

The highest level on record is 29.20 ft on June 1, 1889.

Is North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.70 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01603000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.62181, -78.77342 (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	2.74 ft	2026-10-20 16:15	Provisional
Flow	547 cfs	2026-10-20 16:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland (usgs:01603000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/north-branch-potomac-river-near-cumberland

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