TidalMapCranberry Branch near Westminster, MD Water Level Today
NWS river forecast
| When | Stage | Flow |
|---|
Forecast from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service. Issued a few times a day and only while a forecast is active. Not for navigation.
Last 30 days
About this gauge
USGS gauge 01585500 sits on Cranberry Branch and reads everything draining 3.3 square miles of the Gunpowder-Patapsco basin. Its datum sits 667 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1950, 76 years of it.
Where this gauge sits in the drainage
No gauged site sits above this one on the mainstem, so this is the first published reading on the river. Downstream the next reading comes from North Branch Patapsco River at Cedarhurst, MD at 57 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 6% of the water measured there. Water passing here goes on to Patapsco River at Hollofield, MD, Patapsco River near Catonsville, MD and Patapsco River near Elkridge, MD.
Normal flows here
Cranberry Branch runs a median of 2.0 cfs at this gauge across 76 years of record. April is the fullest month at a median 3.6 cfs, and September the leanest at 1.1 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 440 cfs in 1972, and the lowest is 0.0 cfs in 2002.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.1 cfs | 105% |
| Feb | 2.8 cfs | 140% |
| Mar | 3.3 cfs | 165% |
| Apr | 3.6 cfs | 180% |
| May | 3.1 cfs | 155% |
| Jun | 2.2 cfs | 108% |
| Jul | 1.6 cfs | 80% |
| Aug | 1.2 cfs | 60% |
| Sep | 1.1 cfs | 57% |
| Oct | 1.2 cfs | 60% |
| Nov | 1.4 cfs | 70% |
| Dec | 2.0 cfs | 100% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1950 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
Cranberry Branch reaches flood stage at this gauge at 5 feet. NWS starts watching it at 4 feet. The highest crest on record is 8.9 feet, in July 2018.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 4 ft |
| Minor flooding | 5 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 6 ft |
| Major flooding | 9 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| July 2018 | 8.9 ft |
| September 1975 | 7.5 ft |
| June 1972 | 5.8 ft |
| June 2021 | 5.8 ft |
| July 1970 | 5.5 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WESM2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Beaver Run near Finksburg, MD
- North Branch Patapsco River at Cedarhurst, MD
- Morgan Run near Louisville, MD
- Grave Run near Beckleysville, MD
- Georges Run near Beckleysville, MD
- Sams Creek at Mckinstrys Mill, MD
- Piney Run at Dover, MD
- Red Run near Owings Mills, MD
- Big Pipe Creek at Bruceville, MD
- Monocacy River at Bridgeport, MD
- Pond Branch at Oregon Ridge, MD
- Western Run at Western Run, MD
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01585500. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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