McDonalds Branch in Byrne State Forest NJ water level

Name: McDonalds Branch in Byrne State Forest NJ 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, New Jersey, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

1.09ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM EDT (55 min ago)

Flow: 0.9 cfs
Water temperature: 57 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

McDonalds Branch in Byrne State Forest NJ is running below normal at 1.09 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 1.09 ft and 1.12 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The water temperature at the gauge is 57 °F.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 2.54 ftAugust 28, 2011

Floating and fishing near McDonalds Branch in Byrne State Forest NJ

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	2.54 ft	August 28, 2011
2	2.33 ft	July 13, 2004
3	2.33 ft	August 25, 1958
4	2.22 ft	July 13, 1991
5	2.16 ft	September 19, 1989
6	2.16 ft	September 3, 1969

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.16 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 65° 44° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 56° 46° – Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 65° 44° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 59° 45° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 61° 41° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 64° 43° – Wind 7 mph

26 Mon 68° 45° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 06:13 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Greenwood Branch at New Lisbon NJRiver gauge, Greenwood Branch	2.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	8 mi
Crosswicks Creek at Hockamik Rd near Cookstown NJRiver gauge, Crosswicks Creek	22.2 cfs	Normal	−4.5 cfs	11 mi
North Branch Rancocas Creek at Pemberton NJRiver gauge, North Branch Rancocas Creek	1.65 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	11 mi
West Branch Wading River near Jenkins NJRiver gauge, West Branch Wading River	11.01 ft	Below flood stage	+0.09 ft	14 mi
South Branch Rancocas Creek at Vincentown NJRiver gauge, South Branch Rancocas Creek	1.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.19 ft	14 mi
Oswego River at Harrisville NJRiver gauge, Oswego River	40.5 cfs	Low	−2.5 cfs	15 mi
NB Rancocas C at Iron Works Park at Mount Holly NJRiver gauge, NB Rancocas C	8.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	16 mi
Toms River near Toms River NJRiver gauge, Toms River	3.88 ft	Below flood stage	−0.15 ft	16 mi

Questions and answers

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 McDonalds Branch in Byrne State Forest NJ today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM EDT, the water level was 1.09 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is McDonalds Branch in Byrne State Forest NJ rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of McDonalds Branch in Byrne State Forest NJ normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at McDonalds Branch in Byrne State Forest NJ?

The highest level on record is 2.54 ft on August 28, 2011.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01466500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.88500, -74.50528 (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	1.09 ft	2026-10-20 17:15	Provisional
Flow	0.9 cfs	2026-10-20 17:15	Provisional
Water temperature	57 °F	2026-10-20 17:15	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/10435?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="McDonalds Branch in Byrne State Forest NJ water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: McDonalds Branch in Byrne State Forest NJ (usgs:01466500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-jersey/mcdonalds-branch-in-byrne-state-forest-nj

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