TidalMapNortheast Branch Anacostia River at Riverdale, 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 01649500 sits on the Northeast Branch Anacostia River and reads everything draining 73 square miles of the Middle Potomac-Anacostia-Occoquan basin. Its datum sits 12 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1938, 87 years of it.
Where this gauge sits in the drainage
One gauged site sits upstream of here. The closest is Paint Branch near College Park, MD, reading 13 square miles. This gauge adds the 60 square miles that drain in between.
Normal flows here
The Northeast Branch Anacostia River runs a median of 42 cfs at this gauge across 87 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 73 cfs, and September the leanest at 21 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 6,830 cfs in 1975, and the lowest is 1.4 cfs in 1966.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 cfs | 136% |
| Feb | 66 cfs | 157% |
| Mar | 73 cfs | 174% |
| Apr | 65 cfs | 155% |
| May | 51 cfs | 121% |
| Jun | 35 cfs | 83% |
| Jul | 26 cfs | 62% |
| Aug | 25 cfs | 60% |
| Sep | 21 cfs | 50% |
| Oct | 22 cfs | 52% |
| Nov | 35 cfs | 83% |
| Dec | 49 cfs | 117% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1938 to 2025. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
The Northeast Branch Anacostia River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 8 feet. NWS starts watching it at 7 feet. The highest crest on record is 13.4 feet, in August 1933.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 7 ft |
| Minor flooding | 8 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 13 ft |
| Major flooding | 16 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| August 1933 | 13.4 ft |
| July 2022 | 13.4 ft |
| July 2004 | 11.2 ft |
| October 1942 | 10.8 ft |
| June 2006 | 10.8 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RVDM2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Northwest Branch Anacostia River at Brentwood, MD
- Beaverdam Creek near Cheverly, MD
- Paint Branch near College Park, MD
- Sligo Creek near Takoma Park, MD
- Paint Branch Tributary near Colesville, MD
- Northwest Branch Anacostia River near Colesville, MD
- Patuxent River near Laurel, MD
- Turkey Branch near Rockville, MD
- Fourmile Run at Alexandria, VA
- Potomac River near Wash, Dc Little Falls Pump Sta
- Little Patuxent River at Savage, MD
- Little Patuxent River at Guilford, MD
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01649500. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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