Wills Creek near Cumberland water level

Name: Wills Creek 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, Wills Creek, Maryland, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.22ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 82.3 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:19 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Wills Creek near Cumberland is at 2.22 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.78 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 2.21 ft and 2.55 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 23.11 ftJanuary 19, 1996
Forecast peak: 2.20 ftTuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Wills Creek near Cumberland

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 10.00 ft, 7.78 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

23.00 ft: The levee system on Wills Creek protects the city of Cumberland from flooding to approximately this level.
22.00 ft: Significant portions of Maryland Route 36 at Motor City and National Highway in The Narrows are flooded, along with many homes and businesses in Motor City and Locust Grove.
18.00 ft: Portions of the Western Maryland Railroad in The Narrows are underwater. Numerous homes and businesses in Motor City and Locust Grove are flooded.
14.00 ft: Several businesses at Motor City and outside the levee protection north of Cumberland are flooded, along with at least a couple homes in Locust Grove. Water approaches low spots on Route 36, possibly affecting one lane.
12.00 ft: Water reaches businesses in Motor City along route 36, and begins to approach homes in Locust Grove. Water may be approaching the lowest sections of the railroad tracks on the left bank. The tracks on the right bank will not be affected.
11.00 ft: Water approaches businesses at Motor City. Vehicles must be moved to higher ground.
10.00 ft: Water reaches a private bridge near Corriganville, and a car wash at Motor City. Water also reaches the parking lots of businesses along route 36 at Motor City. Vehicles may need to be moved to higher ground.
9.00 ft: The creek floods over its banks but no property is affected.
2.22 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	23.11 ft	January 19, 1996
2	20.20 ft	March 17, 1936
3	15.14 ft	October 15, 1942
4	14.94 ft	August 13, 1984
5	14.12 ft	May 14, 2025
6	14.11 ft	September 2, 2021
7	13.45 ft	April 26, 1937
8	13.00 ft	March 29, 1924
9	11.73 ft	April 16, 1993
10	11.57 ft	September 9, 2018

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 68° 45° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 66° 44° – Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 67° 42° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 63° 43° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 63° 38° – Wind 3 mph

25 Sun 67° 39° – Wind 3 mph

26 Mon 69° 45° – Wind 3 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on Wills Creek

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Wills Creek below HyndmanRiver gauge, Wills Creek	47.7 cfs	Normal	−6.2 cfs	11 mi
Wills Creek at Derwent OHRiver gauge, Wills Creek	4.57 ft	Very high	−0.07 ft	147 mi
Wills Creek at Cambridge OHRiver gauge, Wills Creek	2.78 ft	Very high	−0.09 ft	150 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
North Branch Potomac River near CumberlandRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	3.4 mi
Town Creek near OldtownRiver gauge, Town Creek	2.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	15 mi
Patterson Creek near HeadsvilleRiver gauge, Patterson Creek	3.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.08 ft	16 mi
South Branch Potomac River near SpringfieldRiver gauge, South Branch Potomac River	2.63 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	17 mi
Savage River near BartonRiver gauge, Savage River	24.4 cfs	Normal	−2.5 cfs	18 mi
Georges Creek at FranklinRiver gauge, Georges Creek	2.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Casselman River at GrantsvilleRiver gauge, Casselman River	1.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	19 mi
North Branch Potomac River at LukeRiver gauge, North Branch Potomac River	2.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	20 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Wills Creek near Cumberland?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 7.78 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 Wills Creek near Cumberland today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT, the water level was 2.22 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Wills Creek near Cumberland rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Wills Creek near Cumberland normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Wills Creek near Cumberland?

The highest level on record is 23.11 ft on January 19, 1996.

Is Wills Creek near Cumberland expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01601500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.66961, -78.78803 (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	2.22 ft	2026-10-20 15:00	Provisional
Flow	82.3 cfs	2026-10-20 15:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Wills Creek near Cumberland (usgs:01601500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maryland/wills-creek-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