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North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller, MD Water Level Today

Maryland · USGS gauge 01595500 · live data · Updated Oct 28, 2026

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About this gauge

USGS gauge 01595500 sits on the North Branch Potomac River and reads everything draining 225 square miles of the North Branch Potomac basin. Its datum sits 1,572 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1950, 59 years of it.

Where this gauge sits in the drainage

One gauged site sits upstream of here. The closest is North Branch Potomac River at Steyer, MD, reading 73 square miles. This gauge adds the 152 square miles that drain in between. Downstream the next reading comes from North Branch Potomac River at Luke, MD at 406 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 55% of the water measured there.

Normal flows here

The North Branch Potomac River runs a median of 284 cfs at this gauge across 59 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 660 cfs, and September the leanest at 56 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 13,200 cfs in 1955, and the lowest is 4.6 cfs in 1954.

Median flow by month
MonthMedian flowShare of annual median
Jan385 cfs136%
Feb465 cfs164%
Mar660 cfs232%
Apr584 cfs205%
May425 cfs150%
Jun203 cfs71%
Jul106 cfs37%
Aug81 cfs29%
Sep56 cfs20%
Oct82 cfs29%
Nov176 cfs62%
Dec358 cfs126%

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

The North Branch Potomac River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 9 feet. NWS starts watching it at 8 feet. The highest crest on record is 14.8 feet, in November 1985.

NWS flood categories
CategoryGage height
Action8 ft
Minor flooding9 ft
Moderate flooding12 ft
Major flooding15 ft
Highest crests on record
WhenCrest
November 198514.8 ft
October 195413.5 ft
September 199613.4 ft
January 199612.9 ft
August 195512.8 ft

Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge KITM2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.

Nearby river gauges

Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01595500. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.

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