EARTH · RIVERS & FLOODS · UNITED STATES
Potomac River Level & Flow
The latest reading on the Potomac River at Washington, DC — from the USGS streamgage, reporting gage height (feet) and streamflow (cubic feet per second). The river of the US capital, gaged at Little Falls just above Washington, DC.The figure below is live, shown with the time it was taken, and framed as a measurement of flow — never a flood verdict.
What this reading means
Gage height is how high the water stands at the gage, in feet; streamflow is how much water is moving past, in cubic feet per second. Both rise and fall with rain, snowmelt and upstream dams. A high number here means the Potomac River is running full — but whether that is flooding depends on this river’s own banks and its official flood stage, which this page does not assert. It shows the measurement and its context, not a safe/unsafe verdict.
About this reading
This reading comes from a US Geological Survey streamgage on the Potomac River at Washington, DC. USGS gages report instantaneous values every 15–60 minutes; the newest figure above is the most recent the gage has transmitted. US federal data, public domain.
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