Potomac River at Paw Paw water level

Name: Potomac River at Paw Paw 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, Potomac River, Maryland, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.73ft Down 0.35 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:15 AM EDT (35 min ago)

Flow: 2,180 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.90 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:56 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Potomac River at Paw Paw reads 5.73 ft, a normal level.

It is 19.27 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft.

The level is falling, down 0.35 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.90 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 AM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.73 ft and 6.61 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 54.00 ftMarch 18, 1936
Forecast peak: 5.90 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 AM

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 25.00 ft, still 19.27 ft away.

What happens at each level

62.00 ft: Water covers the bridge over the Potomac at the state line in Paw Paw.
50.00 ft: Homes in Paw Paw begin to flood.
46.00 ft: Water approaches the intersection of West Virginia Route 9 and Winchester Street in Paw Paw.
40.00 ft: The right bank of the river floods extensive sections of the town of Paw Paw, north of the B&O Railroad. The towpath of the C&O Canal also begins to flood.
37.00 ft: Floodwaters cover both West Virginia Route 9 and Maryland Route 51. Businesses in the town of Paw Paw begin to flood.
34.00 ft: Water reaches the settling pond next to Paw Paw Park.
30.00 ft: Paw Paw Tunnel Campground begins to flood.
26.00 ft: Water covers an access road on the West Virginia side.
25.00 ft: A parking area adjacent to the highway bridge begins to flood. The roadway to the C&O Canal parking area floods, as does the lowest end of the Purslane Run hiker/biker area.
22.50 ft: Water reaches the top of the boat ramp in Paw Paw Festival Park.
11.00 ft: The river reaches danger level for boaters as defined by the State of Maryland. At danger level, conditions are considered extremely hazardous.
5.73 ft: Right now
5.00 ft: The river reaches caution level for boaters as defined by the State of Maryland. Fast moving water and current changes can be expected.

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 9 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	54.00 ft	March 18, 1936
2	53.58 ft	November 5, 1985
3	45.00 ft	June 1, 1889
4	45.00 ft	November 24, 1877
5	43.50 ft	March 29, 1924
6	43.45 ft	September 7, 1996
7	40.86 ft	January 20, 1996
8	38.36 ft	October 16, 1942
9	35.35 ft	August 19, 1955
10	33.91 ft	June 19, 1949

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 61° 38° – Wind 5 mph

19 Mon 66° 41° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 69° 40° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 67° 41° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 69° 39° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 66° 42° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 62° 38° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 11 hr, 2 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Potomac River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Potomac River at HancockRiver gauge, Potomac River	4.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.30 ft	18 mi
Potomac River at ShepherdstownRiver gauge, Potomac River	3.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	36 mi
Potomac River at Harpers FerryRiver gauge, Potomac River	2.30 ft	No reference yet	−0.22 ft	42 mi
Potomac River at Burkittsville Road at BrunswickRiver gauge, Potomac River	3.37 ft	No reference yet	−0.15 ft	47 mi
Potomac River at Point of RocksRiver gauge, Potomac River	2.49 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	52 mi
Potomac River at Edwards Ferry near PoolesvilleRiver gauge, Potomac River	4.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.16 ft	61 mi
Potomac River near Wash, Dc Little Falls Pump StationRiver gauge, Potomac River	3.50 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	82 mi
Potomac River at Wisconsin Ave, WashingtonEstuary gauge, Potomac River	0.78 ft	Below flood stage	+0.22 ft	86 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Town Creek near OldtownRiver gauge, Town Creek	2.03 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	5.4 mi
Cacapon River near Great CacaponRiver gauge, Cacapon River	2.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	8 mi
Sideling Hill Creek near BellegroveRiver gauge, Sideling Hill Creek	0.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	10 mi
South Branch Potomac River near SpringfieldRiver gauge, South Branch Potomac River	2.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.29 ft	12 mi
Warm Springs Run near Berkeley SpringsRiver gauge, Warm Springs Run	1.85 ft	Below flood stage	+0.06 ft	14 mi
North Branch Potomac River near CumberlandRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.77 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	18 mi
Tonoloway Creek near HancockRiver gauge, Tonoloway Creek	21.3 cfs	Normal	−5.0 cfs	20 mi
Wills Creek near CumberlandRiver gauge, Wills Creek	2.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Potomac River at Paw Paw?

The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 19.27 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 Potomac River at Paw Paw today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:15 AM EDT, the water level was 5.73 ft. Down 0.35 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Potomac River at Paw Paw rising or falling?

Down 0.35 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Potomac River at Paw Paw normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Potomac River at Paw Paw?

The highest level on record is 54.00 ft on March 18, 1936.

Is Potomac River at Paw Paw expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.90 ft by Monday, October 19 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01610000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.53886, -78.45561 (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	5.73 ft	2026-10-19 15:15	Provisional
Flow	2,180 cfs	2026-10-19 15:15	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/8679?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Potomac River at Paw Paw water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Potomac River at Paw Paw (usgs:01610000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/potomac-river-at-paw-paw

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