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South Fork Catoctin Creek at Rt 698 near Waterford, VA Water Level Today

Virginia · USGS gauge 01638350 · live data · Updated Oct 28, 2026

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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.

Median flow by month
MonthMedian flowShare of annual median
Jan27 cfs135%
Feb30 cfs150%
Mar31 cfs155%
Apr27 cfs135%
May26 cfs130%
Jun15 cfs75%
Jul7.2 cfs36%
Aug4.2 cfs21%
Sep3.8 cfs19%
Oct7.0 cfs35%
Nov10 cfs52%
Dec22 cfs110%

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.

NWS flood categories
CategoryGage height
Action7 ft
Minor flooding8 ft
Moderate flooding10 ft
Major flooding15 ft
Highest crests on record
WhenCrest
September 200312.1 ft
September 200411.2 ft
May 201411.1 ft
October 201211 ft
July 200510.5 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

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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