CAMPING & RECREATION
Great Falls Park
Official visitor and safety information for Great Falls.
Visit official site Source: National Park ServicePotomac River →
Potomac River at Point of Rocks, MD
Frederick County, Maryland · USGS 01638500
Latest observation
Current water temperature: 56.7 °F (13.7 °C) · Measured at this USGS gauge . View temperature chart →
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What this gauge represents: USGS reading for Potomac River in Frederick County; conditions elsewhere on the river can differ.
STREAMFLOW
1,580 ft³/s↓ −80 CFS / 24h
Observed · 31 minutes ago
Observed · 31 minutes ago
GAUGE HEIGHT
1.21 ft↓ −0.04 ft / 24h
Observed · 31 minutes ago
Observed · 31 minutes ago
WATER TEMPERATURE
56.7°F (13.7°C)Latest available reading
Observed · 31 minutes ago
Observed · 31 minutes ago
How to read these numbers
Streamflow (ft³/s or CFS)
How much water moves past the gauge each second. Higher numbers mean more water is moving downstream.
Gauge height (ft)
The water-surface height at this gauge. It is useful for tracking rises, falls and flood thresholds, but it is not the river's total depth.
24-hour change
How much the latest reading has risen or fallen compared with roughly 24 hours earlier.
Historical median
The typical streamflow for this date based on USGS historical statistics. A multiple such as 3× means current flow is about three times the historical median.
River Pulse
Get Water Data's plain-language summary of current flow, historical context and recent direction.
NOAA flood stage
Official action and flood thresholds where available. These levels are specific to each gauge location.
Gauge height and flood stage are station-specific. A 12-foot reading at one gauge should not be directly compared with 12 feet at another.
RIVER PULSE
Current conditions · Falling
Streamflow is currently 1,580 ft³/s. Flow has fallen 80 CFS over the past 24 hours.
How trends & context are calculated →NOAA flood-stage status:Below action stage
Current 1.2 ft · 9.8 ft below action stage · Flood stage 16 ft
OFFICIAL RIVER FORECAST
River level forecast
NOAA / NWS
Forecast issued
Forecast high1.3 ft
High expected
Flood stage16.0 ft
ObservedOfficial forecast
Forecast high remains below action stage.
Potomac River at Point of Rocks, MD water temperature
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ON THIS RIVER
Continue along the Potomac River
EXPLORE
Explore the Potomac River
Checking the gauge is only the start. Find places to fish, paddle, camp and explore, plus official access and recreation information. The gauge itself isn't a public access point.
Open the Potomac River guideRIVER RESOURCE
Paddle the Potomac River
NPS trip context for a documented paddling reach.
Visit official site Source: National Park ServiceCAMPING & RECREATION
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
A long linear park following the Potomac from Georgetown to Cumberland.
Visit official siteRIVER RESOURCE
C&O Canal river access network
The national historical park provides access information along 184.5 miles of the Potomac corridor.
Visit official siteSTATION DETAILS
About this gauge
Site type: Stream
County: Frederick County
Drainage area: 9,651 mi²
Current measurements: 3
DATA SOURCE
Official USGS station
Get Water Data organizes provisional public monitoring data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
View USGS station →