Patuxent River near Unity water level

Name: Patuxent River near Unity 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, Patuxent River, Maryland, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.13ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 02:55 AM EDT (36 min ago)

Flow: 18.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Patuxent River near Unity, where the gauge shows 2.13 ft.

It is 5.87 ft below the flood stage of 8.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.13 ft – 2.24 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: 18.60 ftSeptember 11, 1971

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 8.00 ft.

What happens at each level

11.00 ft: Howard Chapel Road is flooded at the Patuxent River.
8.00 ft: The parking lot for the Patuxent River State Park at Maryland Route 97 begins to flood.
2.13 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	18.60 ft	September 11, 1971
2	16.10 ft	June 22, 1972
3	14.35 ft	July 21, 1956
4	13.58 ft	August 1, 1945
5	12.69 ft	September 26, 1975
6	11.72 ft	October 1, 1979
7	10.54 ft	May 6, 1989
8	10.52 ft	September 6, 1996
9	10.49 ft	January 31, 2013
10	10.36 ft	June 27, 2006

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 59° 38° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 63° 38° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 65° 45° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 62° 42° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 64° 42° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 63° 45° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 61° 42° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 11 hr, 3 min First quarter 57%

Map

Other gauges on the Patuxent River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Patuxent River below Brighton Dam near Brighton MDRiver gauge, Patuxent River	1.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	4.2 mi
Patuxent River near LaurelRiver gauge, Patuxent River	4.29 ft	Below flood stage	±0	13 mi
Patuxent River near BowieRiver gauge, Patuxent River	4.70 ft	Below flood stage	−0.82 ft	28 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cattail Creek near GlenwoodRiver gauge, Cattail Creek	13.1 cfs	Normal	−0.8 cfs	1.2 mi
Hawlings River near Sandy SpringRiver gauge, Hawlings River	0.55 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	4.8 mi
Little Seneca Creek Tributary at BrinkRiver gauge, Little Seneca Creek Tributary	0.3 cfs	Normal	±0	10 mi
Little Seneca Creek Tributary near ClarksburgRiver gauge, Little Seneca Creek Tributary	0.1 cfs	Very low	±0	11 mi
Paint Branch Tributary near ColesvilleRiver gauge, Paint Branch Tributary	1.60 ft	Below flood stage	±0	11 mi
Turkey Branch near RockvilleRiver gauge, Turkey Branch	4.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	12 mi
Little Patuxent River at GuilfordRiver gauge, Little Patuxent River	2.19 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	12 mi
Northwest Branch Anacostia River near ColesvilleRiver gauge, Northwest Branch Anacostia River	1.46 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	12 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Patuxent River near Unity?

The official flood stage is 8.00 ft. The level is currently 5.87 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 Patuxent River near Unity today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 02:55 AM EDT, the water level was 2.13 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Patuxent River near Unity rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Patuxent River near Unity normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Patuxent River near Unity?

The highest level on record is 18.60 ft on September 11, 1971.

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:01591000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.23825, -77.05572 (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	2.13 ft	2026-10-19 06:55	Provisional
Flow	18.8 cfs	2026-10-19 06:55	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Patuxent River near Unity (usgs:01591000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/patuxent-river-near-unity

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