District Of Columbia River Levels & Streamflow
As of Sep 19, 2026, District Of Columbia rivers are running at 88% of normal across 1 USGS gauges — the highest is 1 cfs on the Watts Branch At Washington. Live discharge, gauge height, and percent-of-normal for every USGS streamgauge in District Of Columbia.
Streamflow levels across District Of Columbia are currently 88% of normal, with the Watts Branch At Washington reporting the highest discharge in the state at 1 cfs and a gauge stage of 4.11 ft.
Meanwhile, the Watts Branch At Washington is seeing a spike today — up -3% since yesterday and currently running near peak.
Tap any gauge below for the full hydrograph, paired weather forecast, and historical context. Use the rivers panel to jump into District Of Columbia's named rivers.
State-wide streamflow overview
The District Of Columbia flow picture in four data points -- where the state sits versus historical norms, what's flowing hardest, and what's spiking fastest.
Percent of normal
100% is the historical norm. Below 70% indicates drought; above 130% can flag elevated flood risk.
Highest discharge
Gauge stage 4.11 ft
Biggest 24h spike
Now 1 cfs
Network coverage
USGS gauges feeding 0 named rivers in District Of Columbia.
Where every gauge actually sits
One dot per District Of Columbia streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The state average is a single line through all of it.
Percent of normal compares today's discharge with the historical average for this calendar day. Tap any dot to open that gauge.
District Of Columbia streamflow, three water years
Statewide percent of normal, every day since Sep 2023. The dotted line is normal.
799 daily readings from 1 reporting gauges. Percent of normal is today's statewide discharge against the historical average for the same calendar day — 100% is normal, not "good". The axis tops out at 250%: 35 readings above that — including the 1966% peak in Sep 2026 — are drawn along the top edge, so a few flood days cannot flatten three years of everything else. The line breaks in 2 places where the record skips more than five days — those are gaps in reporting, not readings of zero.
District Of Columbia USGS streamgauges
Every USGS gauge Snoflo tracks in District Of Columbia. Sortable, quickly filterable. Numeric columns heat-mapped from light to deep. Tap any gauge for its full hydrograph and forecast.
| Streamgage | Streamflow | Gage height | Water temp | Air temp | Elevation | Watershed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Watts Branch At Washington, Dc
1 day ago · USGS 01651800 |
1 cfs | 4.12 ft | 74°F | 72°F | 23 ft | Middle Potomac-Anacostia-Occoquan |
See every District Of Columbia gauge ranked against normal.
- Percentile rank & % of median for all 1 gauges
- 15-day PULSE forecast on every gauge
- Custom flow alerts & full daily history
About District Of Columbia streamflow
What are river levels like in District Of Columbia right now?
As of September 19, 2026, District Of Columbia rivers are running at 88% of normal across 1 USGS streamgauges, and the Watts Branch At Washington is reporting the highest discharge at 1 cfs. The full sortable gauge table is below.
Which District Of Columbia river is running highest right now?
As of September 19, 2026, the highest discharge in District Of Columbia is 1 cfs on the Watts Branch At Washington. See the sortable gauge table for the full statewide ranking.
Are District Of Columbia rivers high or low right now?
Compare the statewide percent-of-normal on this page: above 100% means District Of Columbia rivers are running higher than the seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower (a dry spell or drought). Each gauge also shows its own percent of median.
Where does the District Of Columbia streamflow data come from?
The U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System. USGS streamgauges report continuously (every 15 minutes) and the data is the canonical real-time record for U.S. rivers. Snoflo pulls the latest readings and joins them to a 7-day NOAA weather forecast for each station.
What is cfs?
Cubic feet per second — the standard unit for streamflow. One cfs is about 7.5 gallons per second. Small creeks run at single-digit cfs; the Mississippi at hundreds of thousands.
What does Gauge Height mean?
The water level at the gauge in feet above the reference datum. Used together with discharge to track river state. Flood stage and runnable levels are typically expressed in gauge height (e.g., "flood at 16 ft").
How fresh is the District Of Columbia data?
USGS streamgauges report every 15 minutes; Snoflo re-pulls throughout the day. The AI briefing regenerates daily.
Can I get a flow alert for a District Of Columbia gauge?
Yes. Save any USGS gauge as a favorite in the Snoflo iOS app, set a discharge or stage threshold (e.g. "alert me when discharge crosses 2,000 cfs"), and you'll get a push the moment it crosses.
Is this a substitute for an NWS flood warning?
No. Snoflo is informational. For flood life-safety decisions always follow guidance from your local NWS forecast office and state emergency management. Snoflo data is one input among several.
Streamflow in every state
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