TidalMapPotomac River at Paw Paw, WV 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 01610000 sits on the Potomac River and reads everything draining 3,129 square miles of the Cacapon-Town basin. Its datum sits 487 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1939, 88 years of it.
Where this gauge sits in the drainage
No gauged site sits above this one on the mainstem, so this is the first published reading on the river. Downstream the next reading comes from Potomac River at Hancock, MD at 4,064 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 77% of the water measured there.
Normal flows here
The Potomac River runs a median of 1,885 cfs at this gauge across 88 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 5,090 cfs, and September the leanest at 611 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 125,000 cfs in 1986, and the lowest is 172 cfs in 1966.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2,630 cfs | 140% |
| Feb | 3,510 cfs | 186% |
| Mar | 5,090 cfs | 270% |
| Apr | 4,145 cfs | 220% |
| May | 3,280 cfs | 174% |
| Jun | 1,600 cfs | 85% |
| Jul | 873 cfs | 46% |
| Aug | 718 cfs | 38% |
| Sep | 611 cfs | 32% |
| Oct | 649 cfs | 34% |
| Nov | 1,065 cfs | 56% |
| Dec | 2,150 cfs | 114% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1939 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
The Potomac River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 25 feet. NWS starts watching it at 22.5 feet. The highest crest on record is 54 feet, in March 1936.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 22.5 ft |
| Minor flooding | 25 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 30 ft |
| Major flooding | 37 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| March 1936 | 54 ft |
| November 1985 | 53.6 ft |
| June 1889 | 45 ft |
| November 1877 | 45 ft |
| March 1924 | 43.5 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PAWW2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Town Creek near Oldtown, MD
- Sideling Hill Creek near Bellegrove, MD
- Potomac River at Hancock, MD
- North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland, MD
- Tonoloway Creek near Hancock, MD
- Wills Creek near Cumberland, MD
- Hogue Creek near Hayfield, VA
- Licking Creek at Pectonville, MD
- Cedar Creek near Winchester, VA
- Dry Marsh Run near Berryville, VA
- Opequon Creek near Berryville, VA
- North Fork Shenandoah River near Strasburg, VA
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01610000. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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