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Patapsco River near Catonsville, MD Water Level Today

Maryland · USGS gauge 01589025 · live data · Updated Oct 28, 2026

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About this gauge

USGS gauge 01589025 sits on the Patapsco River and reads everything draining 301 square miles of the Gunpowder-Patapsco basin. Its datum sits 66 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 2011, 15 years of it.

Where this gauge sits in the drainage

Two gauged sites sit upstream of here. The closest is Patapsco River at Hollofield, MD, reading 285 square miles. This gauge adds the 16 square miles that drain in between. Downstream the next reading comes from Patapsco River near Elkridge, MD at 312 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 96% of the water measured there.

Normal flows here

The Patapsco River runs a median of 144 cfs at this gauge across 15 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 257 cfs, and September the leanest at 62 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 9,990 cfs in 2014, and the lowest is 18 cfs in 2023.

Median flow by month
MonthMedian flowShare of annual median
Jan170 cfs118%
Feb204 cfs142%
Mar257 cfs178%
Apr232 cfs161%
May214 cfs149%
Jun153 cfs106%
Jul86 cfs60%
Aug76 cfs53%
Sep62 cfs43%
Oct66 cfs46%
Nov87 cfs60%
Dec145 cfs101%

Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 2011 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.

Flood stages and record crests

The Patapsco River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 20 feet. NWS starts watching it at 18 feet. The highest crest on record is 27.1 feet, in May 2018.

NWS flood categories
CategoryGage height
Action18 ft
Minor flooding20 ft
Moderate flooding25 ft
Highest crests on record
WhenCrest
May 201827.1 ft
July 201627.1 ft
September 201125.2 ft
April 201423.8 ft
June 201822.2 ft

Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CTSM2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.

Nearby river gauges

Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01589025. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.

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