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SwedenNorthwest Branch Anacostia River near Colesville water level
River gauge, Northwest Branch Anacostia River, Maryland, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 3.3 cfs
History
What this means
Water levels are unremarkable at Northwest Branch Anacostia River near Colesville, where the gauge shows 1.43 ft.
It is 7.57 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.
The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 1.43 ft – 1.76 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
- 15.89 ftJune 22, 1972
Paddling and fishing conditions
Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.
For reference, flood stage is 9.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 19.00 ft
- Water reaches Randolph Road.
- 13.00 ft
- Water approaches a home on Kemps Mill Road.
- 12.00 ft
- Kemps Mill Road begins to flood between Old Randolph Road and Glenallan Avenue.
- 10.50 ft
- Water covers the old bridge over Northwest Branch at Old Randolph Road.
- 9.00 ft
- Backyards of homes on Kemps Mill Road just south of Randolph Road are flooded.
- 7.00 ft
- Water begins to flood low-lying portions of the old Indian Spring Country Club.
- 6.00 ft
- The upper portion of the Northwest Branch Trail is flooded. Lowland flooding begins along the creek but is affecting nothing other than the trail.
- 1.43 ft
- Right now
Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15.89 ft | June 22, 1972 |
| 2 | 13.61 ft | June 26, 2006 |
| 3 | 12.26 ft | April 30, 2014 |
| 4 | 12.24 ft | July 15, 1975 |
| 5 | 11.47 ft | September 5, 1979 |
| 6 | 10.99 ft | August 8, 1953 |
| 7 | 10.13 ft | June 10, 2013 |
| 8 | 10.11 ft | July 3, 2022 |
| 9 | 10.07 ft | October 30, 2012 |
| 10 | 9.92 ft | September 23, 2003 |
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 0.04 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the Northwest Branch Anacostia River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Branch Anacostia River at BrentwoodRiver gauge, Northwest Branch Anacostia River | 1.08 ft | No reference yet | −0.01 ft | 9 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paint Branch Tributary near ColesvilleRiver gauge, Paint Branch Tributary | 1.59 ft | Below flood stage | −0.01 ft | 2.7 mi |
| Turkey Branch near RockvilleRiver gauge, Turkey Branch | 4.28 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 2.8 mi |
| Paint Branch near College ParkRiver gauge, Paint Branch | 1.49 ft | Below flood stage | −0.01 ft | 4.2 mi |
| Sligo Creek near Takoma ParkRiver gauge, Sligo Creek | 0.61 ft | Below flood stage | −0.01 ft | 5.6 mi |
| Rock Creek at Joyce Rd WashingtonRiver gauge, Rock Creek | 1.32 ft | Below flood stage | −0.06 ft | 7 mi |
| Hawlings River near Sandy SpringRiver gauge, Hawlings River | 0.52 ft | Below flood stage | −0.02 ft | 8 mi |
| Patuxent River below Brighton Dam near Brighton MDRiver gauge, Patuxent River | 1.59 ft | Below flood stage | −0.03 ft | 9 mi |
| Patuxent River near LaurelRiver gauge, Patuxent River | 4.29 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 9 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Northwest Branch Anacostia River near Colesville?
The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 7.57 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 Northwest Branch Anacostia River near Colesville today?
On Oct 20, 2026, 02:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.43 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Northwest Branch Anacostia River near Colesville rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Northwest Branch Anacostia River near Colesville normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Northwest Branch Anacostia River near Colesville?
The highest level on record is 15.89 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:01650500(Agency page)- Coordinates
39.06553, -77.02936(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 | 1.43 ft | 2026-10-20 18:45 | Provisional |
| Flow | 3.3 cfs | 2026-10-20 18:45 | Provisional |
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Northwest Branch Anacostia River near Colesville (usgs:01650500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/northwest-branch-anacostia-river-near-colesville
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