North F Catoctin Creek at RT 681 near Waterford water level

Name: North F Catoctin Creek at RT 681 near Waterford 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, North F Catoctin Creek, Virginia, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.90ft Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 02:15 AM EDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 6.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at North F Catoctin Creek at RT 681 near Waterford reads 1.90 ft, a normal level.

It is 8.10 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

The water is rising: up 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. There is still 8.10 ft of room before flood stage. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.81 ft and 1.95 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: 10.97 ftSeptember 28, 2004

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 10.00 ft, still 8.10 ft away.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Floodwaters approach Route 9 in Wheatland.
14.00 ft: Route 681 near the gage is flooded.
11.00 ft: Route 752 near Waterford begins to flood. Route 287 may also be flooded.
9.00 ft: The creek overflows both banks into adjacent fields.
1.90 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	10.97 ft	September 28, 2004
2	10.91 ft	September 23, 2003
3	10.14 ft	May 16, 2014
4	10.06 ft	October 30, 2012
5	9.53 ft	May 12, 2008
6	9.44 ft	May 17, 2018
7	8.83 ft	July 29, 2017
8	8.79 ft	March 22, 2019
9	8.62 ft	April 17, 2011
10	8.40 ft	January 25, 2010

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 68° 41° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 64° 41° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 67° 42° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 62° 43° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 61° 38° – Wind 7 mph

25 Sun 63° 39° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 69° 45° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:27 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South F Catoctin Creek at RT 698 near WaterfordRiver gauge, South F Catoctin Creek	0.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	1.1 mi
Catoctin Creek at TaylorstownRiver gauge, Catoctin Creek	2.78 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	4.3 mi
Limestone Branch near LeesburgRiver gauge, Limestone Branch	0.45 ft	Below flood stage	±0	5.4 mi
Potomac River at Point of RocksRiver gauge, Potomac River	2.26 ft	Below flood stage	−0.14 ft	6 mi
Piney Run near LovettsvilleRiver gauge, Piney Run	1.50 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
North F Goose Creek at RT 729 near LincolnRiver gauge, North F Goose Creek	1.57 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Shenandoah River at MillvilleRiver gauge, Shenandoah River	2.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.27 ft	10 mi
Potomac River at Edwards Ferry near PoolesvilleRiver gauge, Potomac River	4.39 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	11 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for North F Catoctin Creek at RT 681 near Waterford?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 8.10 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 North F Catoctin Creek at RT 681 near Waterford today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 02:15 AM EDT, the water level was 1.90 ft. Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is North F Catoctin Creek at RT 681 near Waterford rising or falling?

Up 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of North F Catoctin Creek at RT 681 near Waterford normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at North F Catoctin Creek at RT 681 near Waterford?

The highest level on record is 10.97 ft on September 28, 2004.

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:01638420 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 39.20500, -77.62389 (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	1.90 ft	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional
Flow	6.8 cfs	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: North F Catoctin Creek at RT 681 near Waterford (usgs:01638420). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/virginia/north-f-catoctin-creek-at-rt-681-near-waterford

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