TidalMapWestern Branch at Upper Marlboro, 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 01594526 sits on Western Branch and reads everything draining 90 square miles of the Patuxent basin. Its datum sits 4 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1986, 37 years of it.
Normal flows here
Western Branch runs a median of 48 cfs at this gauge across 37 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 87 cfs, and September the leanest at 20 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 8,710 cfs in 2011, and the lowest is 1.1 cfs in 2002.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73 cfs | 154% |
| Feb | 85 cfs | 179% |
| Mar | 87 cfs | 183% |
| Apr | 80 cfs | 168% |
| May | 59 cfs | 124% |
| Jun | 38 cfs | 79% |
| Jul | 27 cfs | 57% |
| Aug | 25 cfs | 53% |
| Sep | 20 cfs | 42% |
| Oct | 25 cfs | 53% |
| Nov | 38 cfs | 80% |
| Dec | 62 cfs | 131% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1986 to 2025. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
Western Branch reaches flood stage at this gauge at 11 feet. NWS starts watching it at 9 feet. The highest crest on record is 21.2 feet, in September 2011.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 9 ft |
| Minor flooding | 11 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 16 ft |
| Major flooding | 19 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| September 2011 | 21.2 ft |
| May 2008 | 18.6 ft |
| August 2011 | 16.8 ft |
| September 1999 | 15.4 ft |
| October 2012 | 15.3 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge UPRM2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- Patuxent River near Bowie, MD
- Beaverdam Creek near Cheverly, MD
- Northeast Branch Anacostia River at Riverdale, MD
- Piscataway Creek at Piscataway, MD
- Northwest Branch Anacostia River at Brentwood, MD
- South Fork Jabez Branch at Millersville, MD
- Paint Branch near College Park, MD
- Sligo Creek near Takoma Park, MD
- Patuxent River near Laurel, MD
- Little Patuxent River at Savage, MD
- Fourmile Run at Alexandria, VA
- Cameron Run at Alexandria, VA
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01594526. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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