TidalMapPatapsco River near Elkridge, 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 01589035 sits on the Patapsco River and reads everything draining 312 square miles of the Gunpowder-Patapsco basin. Its datum sits 10 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
Three gauged sites sit upstream of here. The closest is Patapsco River near Catonsville, MD, reading 301 square miles. This gauge adds the 11 square miles that drain in between.
Normal flows here
The Patapsco River runs a median of 157 cfs at this gauge across 15 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 274 cfs, and September the leanest at 66 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 9,900 cfs in 2014, and the lowest is 19 cfs in 2023.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 180 cfs | 115% |
| Feb | 221 cfs | 141% |
| Mar | 274 cfs | 175% |
| Apr | 241 cfs | 154% |
| May | 229 cfs | 146% |
| Jun | 162 cfs | 103% |
| Jul | 95 cfs | 61% |
| Aug | 87 cfs | 55% |
| Sep | 66 cfs | 42% |
| Oct | 71 cfs | 45% |
| Nov | 94 cfs | 60% |
| Dec | 156 cfs | 99% |
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 15 feet. NWS starts watching it at 10 feet. The highest crest on record is 24.8 feet, in May 2018.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 10 ft |
| Minor flooding | 15 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 19 ft |
| Major flooding | 21 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| May 2018 | 24.8 ft |
| July 2016 | 23.8 ft |
| September 2011 | 21.7 ft |
| April 2014 | 21.1 ft |
| January 2013 | 18.5 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge ERDM2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- East Branch Herbert Run at Arbutus, MD
- Patapsco River near Catonsville, MD
- Dead Run near Catonsville, MD
- Dead Run at Franklintown, MD
- Dead Run at Woodlawn, MD
- Dead Run Tributary at Woodlawn, MD
- Dead Run Tributary near Woodlawn, MD
- Tributary to Dead Run Tributary at Woodlawn, MD
- Patapsco River at Hollofield, MD
- Sawmill Creek at Glen Burnie, MD
- Little Patuxent River at Savage, MD
- Scotts Level Branch at Rockdale, MD
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01589035. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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