TidalMapNorth Branch Patapsco River at Cedarhurst, 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 01586000 sits on the North Branch Patapsco River and reads everything draining 57 square miles of the Gunpowder-Patapsco basin. Its datum sits 420 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1945, 80 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 Patapsco River at Hollofield, MD at 285 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 20% of the water measured there. Water passing here goes on to Patapsco River near Catonsville, MD and Patapsco River near Elkridge, MD.
Normal flows here
The North Branch Patapsco River runs a median of 44 cfs at this gauge across 80 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 72 cfs, and September the leanest at 26 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 6,000 cfs in 1972, and the lowest is 0.8 cfs in 2002.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 cfs | 116% |
| Feb | 63 cfs | 143% |
| Mar | 72 cfs | 164% |
| Apr | 71 cfs | 161% |
| May | 60 cfs | 136% |
| Jun | 44 cfs | 100% |
| Jul | 34 cfs | 77% |
| Aug | 28 cfs | 64% |
| Sep | 26 cfs | 59% |
| Oct | 27 cfs | 61% |
| Nov | 34 cfs | 77% |
| Dec | 44 cfs | 100% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1945 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
The highest crest on record is 20.8 feet, in June 1972.
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| June 1972 | 20.8 ft |
| September 1975 | 16.6 ft |
| July 2018 | 13 ft |
| October 1979 | 11.3 ft |
| February 1985 | 10.8 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CDHM2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Beaver Run near Finksburg, MD
- Morgan Run near Louisville, MD
- Piney Run at Dover, MD
- Cranberry Branch near Westminster, MD
- Red Run near Owings Mills, MD
- Georges Run near Beckleysville, MD
- Grave Run near Beckleysville, MD
- Scotts Level Branch at Rockdale, MD
- Pond Branch at Oregon Ridge, MD
- Baisman Run at Broadmoor, MD
- Western Run at Western Run, MD
- Patapsco River at Hollofield, MD
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01586000. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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