TidalMapNorth Branch Potomac River near Cumberland, 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 01603000 sits on the North Branch Potomac River and reads everything draining 877 square miles of the North Branch Potomac basin. Its datum sits 584 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1929, 97 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 Luke, MD, reading 406 square miles. This gauge adds the 471 square miles that drain in between. Downstream the next reading comes from Potomac River at Paw Paw, WV at 3,129 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 28% of the water measured there.
Normal flows here
The North Branch Potomac River runs a median of 724 cfs at this gauge across 97 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 1,920 cfs, and September the leanest at 313 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 47,400 cfs in 1936, and the lowest is 13 cfs in 1932.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1,060 cfs | 146% |
| Feb | 1,320 cfs | 182% |
| Mar | 1,920 cfs | 265% |
| Apr | 1,660 cfs | 229% |
| May | 1,290 cfs | 178% |
| Jun | 600 cfs | 83% |
| Jul | 394 cfs | 54% |
| Aug | 334 cfs | 46% |
| Sep | 313 cfs | 43% |
| Oct | 327 cfs | 45% |
| Nov | 456 cfs | 63% |
| Dec | 889 cfs | 123% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1929 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 17 feet. NWS starts watching it at 12 feet. The highest crest on record is 29.2 feet, in June 1889.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 12 ft |
| Minor flooding | 17 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 21 ft |
| Major flooding | 23 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| June 1889 | 29.2 ft |
| March 1936 | 29.1 ft |
| March 1924 | 28.4 ft |
| January 1996 | 25.6 ft |
| October 1937 | 25.1 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CBEM2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Wills Creek near Cumberland, MD
- Town Creek near Oldtown, MD
- Georges Creek at Franklin, MD
- North Branch Potomac River at Luke, MD
- Potomac River at Paw Paw, WV
- Savage River near Barton, MD
- Casselman River at Grantsville, MD
- Sideling Hill Creek near Bellegrove, MD
- North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller, MD
- North Glade Run near Swanton, MD
- Cherry Creek at State Park Road near Mchenry, MD
- Arrowhead Run at Thayerville, MD
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01603000. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
Open North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland, MD on the live chart →
River pins, dam-release overlays and wadability lines live in the app, start a free TidalMap trial.