South Fork Catoctin Creek at Rt 698 near Waterford, VA 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 01638350 sits on the South Fork Catoctin Creek and reads everything draining 32 square miles of the Middle Potomac-Catoctin basin. Its datum sits 336 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 2001, 25 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 Catoctin Creek at Taylorstown, VA at 90 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 35% of the water measured there. Water passing here goes on to Potomac River at Point of Rocks, MD and Potomac River at Edwards Ferry near Poolesville,md.
Normal flows here
The South Fork Catoctin Creek runs a median of 20 cfs at this gauge across 25 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 31 cfs, and September the leanest at 3.8 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 1,920 cfs in 2008, and the lowest is 0.0 cfs in 2007.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 cfs | 135% |
| Feb | 30 cfs | 150% |
| Mar | 31 cfs | 155% |
| Apr | 27 cfs | 135% |
| May | 26 cfs | 130% |
| Jun | 15 cfs | 75% |
| Jul | 7.2 cfs | 36% |
| Aug | 4.2 cfs | 21% |
| Sep | 3.8 cfs | 19% |
| Oct | 7.0 cfs | 35% |
| Nov | 10 cfs | 52% |
| Dec | 22 cfs | 110% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 2001 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
The South Fork Catoctin Creek reaches flood stage at this gauge at 8 feet. NWS starts watching it at 7 feet. The highest crest on record is 12.1 feet, in September 2003.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 7 ft |
| Minor flooding | 8 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 10 ft |
| Major flooding | 15 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| September 2003 | 12.1 ft |
| September 2004 | 11.2 ft |
| May 2014 | 11.1 ft |
| October 2012 | 11 ft |
| July 2005 | 10.5 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WATV2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- North Fork Catoctin Creek at Rt 681 near Waterford, VA
- Catoctin Creek at Taylorstown, VA
- Limestone Branch near Leesburg, VA
- Potomac River at Point of Rocks, MD
- Potomac River at Burkittsville Rd at Brunswick, MD
- North Fork Goose Creek at Rt 729 near Lincoln, VA
- Piney Run near Lovettsville, VA
- Potomac River at Edwards Ferry near Poolesville,md
- Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, WV
- Goose Creek near Leesburg, VA
- Beaverdam Creek at Rt 734 near Mountville, VA
- Monocacy River near Dickerson, MD
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01638350. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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