Monocacy River river
Total streamflow across the Monocacy River was last observed at 4,656 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 9,235 acre-ft of water today; about 219% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 2,131 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2021-09-02 when daily discharge volume was observed at 62,500 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Monocacy River At Jug Bridge Near Frederick reporting a streamflow rate of 2,290 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Monocacy River At Monocacy Blvd At Frederick with a gauge stage of 5.1 ft. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Monocacy River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 332 ft, the Monocacy River At Bridgeport.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Monocacy River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Monocacy River
All 3 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Monocacy River At Bridgeport
MD
USGS 01639000
|
436 | 4.41 | -29.3 | 396% | 2 | 14,800 | 332 |
|
Monocacy River At Monocacy Blvd At Frederick
MD
USGS 01642190
|
1,930 | 5.10 | -39.5 | 297% | 21 | 25,900 | 259 |
|
Monocacy River At Jug Bridge Near Frederick
MD
USGS 01643000
|
2,290 | 5.03 | -42.6 | 297% | 33 | 29,400 | 231 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
Monocacy River
The Monocacy River is a 58-mile-long tributary of the Potomac River that flows through Maryland and Pennsylvania. It played a significant role in the Civil War Battle of Monocacy in 1864. The river's hydrology is heavily influenced by precipitation, with significant flooding occurring during heavy rainfall events. The river has several reservoirs and dams, including the Lake Linganore Dam, which provides drinking water to the city of Frederick. The river is used for various recreational activities such as fishing, kayaking, and boating. Additionally, the river provides water for irrigation to nearby agricultural lands. The Monocacy River is a vital resource for the local communities and wildlife in the area.
Recreation along the Monocacy River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Monocacy River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the Monocacy River
Where does the data for the Monocacy River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.