West Branch Susquehanna River at Bower water level

Name: West Branch Susquehanna River at Bower 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, West Branch Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

5.54ft Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT (28 min ago)

Flow: 428 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The gauge at West Branch Susquehanna River at Bower reads 5.54 ft, a normal level for mid-October.

The level is falling, down 0.12 ft over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.54 ft and 6.37 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 19.74 ftMarch 18, 1936

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.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.74 ft	March 18, 1936
2	18.50 ft	May 13, 1889
3	16.08 ft	September 11, 2018
4	15.41 ft	August 9, 2024
5	15.27 ft	April 3, 2024
6	13.06 ft	February 16, 2018
7	12.75 ft	May 7, 2022
8	12.67 ft	March 29, 2020
9	12.46 ft	February 18, 2022
10	12.43 ft	May 29, 2017

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.

19 Mon 66° 29° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 64° 42° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 64° 37° – Wind 4 mph

22 Thu 63° 39° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 60° 41° – Wind 5 mph

24 Sat 58° 38° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 64° 38° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:28 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on the West Branch Susquehanna River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
West Branch Susquehanna River at HydeRiver gauge, West Branch Susquehanna River	662 cfs	High	−388.0 cfs	14 mi
West Branch Susquehanna River at RenovoRiver gauge, West Branch Susquehanna River	1.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	57 mi
West Branch Susquehanna River at AllenwoodRiver gauge, West Branch Susquehanna River	8.50 ft	Below flood stage	+0.10 ft	94 mi
West Branch Susquehanna River at LewisburgRiver gauge, West Branch Susquehanna River	2.85 ft	Below flood stage	+0.14 ft	94 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Curwensville Lake near CurwensvilleLake, Curwensville Lake	1,162.48 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	9 mi
WB Susquehanna River near CurwensvilleRiver gauge, WB Susquehanna River	425 cfs	Normal	−339.0 cfs	9 mi
Clearfield Creek at DimelingRiver gauge, Clearfield Creek	3.90 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	15 mi
Glendale Lake near FlintonLake, Glendale Lake	1,427.44 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	16 mi
Sandy Lick Creek at DuboisRiver gauge, Sandy Lick Creek	2.69 ft	Very high	−0.02 ft	16 mi
Mahoning Creek at PunxsutawneyRiver gauge, Mahoning Creek	226 cfs	High	−22.0 cfs	18 mi
Little Mahoning Creek at McCormickRiver gauge, Little Mahoning Creek	141 cfs	High	−36.0 cfs	23 mi
Bald Eagle Creek at TyroneRiver gauge, Bald Eagle Creek	27.5 cfs	Normal	−0.9 cfs	27 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 West Branch Susquehanna River at Bower today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 05:00 AM EDT, the water level was 5.54 ft. Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is West Branch Susquehanna River at Bower rising or falling?

Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of West Branch Susquehanna River at Bower normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at West Branch Susquehanna River at Bower?

The highest level on record is 19.74 ft on March 18, 1936.

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:01541000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.89696, -78.67694 (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	5.54 ft	2026-10-20 09:00	Provisional
Flow	428 cfs	2026-10-20 09:00	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/16071?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="West Branch Susquehanna River at Bower water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: West Branch Susquehanna River at Bower (usgs:01541000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/west-branch-susquehanna-river-at-bower

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