TidalMapWills Creek near Cumberland, 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 01601500 sits on Wills Creek and reads everything draining 247 square miles of the North Branch Potomac basin. Its datum sits 640 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1905, 98 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 North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland, MD at 877 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 28% of the water measured there. Water passing here goes on to Potomac River at Paw Paw, WV.
Normal flows here
Wills Creek runs a median of 163 cfs at this gauge across 98 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 520 cfs, and September the leanest at 36 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 19,200 cfs in 1996, and the lowest is 10 cfs in 1932.
| Month | Median flow | Share of annual median |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 231 cfs | 142% |
| Feb | 309 cfs | 190% |
| Mar | 520 cfs | 319% |
| Apr | 446 cfs | 273% |
| May | 319 cfs | 196% |
| Jun | 130 cfs | 80% |
| Jul | 66 cfs | 40% |
| Aug | 46 cfs | 28% |
| Sep | 36 cfs | 22% |
| Oct | 41 cfs | 25% |
| Nov | 99 cfs | 61% |
| Dec | 196 cfs | 120% |
Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1905 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.
Flood stages and record crests
Wills Creek reaches flood stage at this gauge at 10 feet. NWS starts watching it at 9 feet. The highest crest on record is 23.1 feet, in January 1996.
| Category | Gage height |
|---|---|
| Action | 9 ft |
| Minor flooding | 10 ft |
| Moderate flooding | 12 ft |
| Major flooding | 14 ft |
| When | Crest |
|---|---|
| January 1996 | 23.1 ft |
| March 1936 | 20.2 ft |
| October 1942 | 15.1 ft |
| August 1984 | 14.9 ft |
| May 2025 | 14.1 ft |
Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CWCM2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.
Nearby river gauges
- North Branch Potomac River near Cumberland, MD
- Town Creek near Oldtown, MD
- Georges Creek at Franklin, MD
- Savage River near Barton, MD
- North Branch Potomac River at Luke, MD
- Casselman River at Grantsville, MD
- Potomac River at Paw Paw, WV
- Sideling Hill Creek near Bellegrove, MD
- North Branch Potomac River at Kitzmiller, MD
- North Glade Run near Swanton, MD
- Cherry Creek at State Park Road near Mchenry, MD
- Arrowhead Run at Thayerville, MD
Live streamflow and gage height: USGS gauge 01601500. Percentile context computed against the gauge's period of record. Not for navigation.
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