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USGS 01481500 BRANDYWINE CREEK AT WILMINGTON, DE

PROVISIONAL DATA SUBJECT TO REVISION

Click to hidestation-specific text

LOCATION.--Lat 39°46'10.2", long 75°34'36.1", New Castle County, DE, Hydrologic Unit 02040205,
   on left bank at upstream side of Rising Sun Bridge, in Wilmington, and 4.2 mi upstream from mouth.
DRAINAGE AREA.--314 mi2.
PERIOD OF RECORD.--October 1946 to current year. Prior to December 1946, monthly discharge only,
   published in WSP 1302.
REVISIONS HISTORY.--WSP 1432: 1948, 1950; WDR-US-2011: 2007-2010.
GAGE.--Water-stage recorder, crest-stage gage, and concrete control. Datum of gage is 67.17 ft above North 
   American Vertical Datum of 1988.
REMARKS.--Some diurnal fluctuation at low flow caused by mills upstream from station. Flow regulated since
   November 1973 by Marsh Creek Reservoir (see station 01480684 Marsh Creek Lake near Downington, PA), capacity 
   7,230,000,000 gal, about 27 mi upstream. No diversion just upstream from station by plant of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.
   since June l3, 1960. Gage relocated to left bank at upstream side of Rising Sun Bridge, October 2006 at same gage datum. 
   U.S. Geological Survey satellite data-collection platform at station. Water-quality records for some prior periods have
   been collected at this location.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD.--Maximum discharge, 33,700 ft3/s, Sept. 2, 2021, gage height 23.13 ft;
   minimum discharge, 30 ft3/s, Dec. 26, 1948.
COOPERATION.--Funding for the operation of this station is provided by the Delaware Geological Survey, the 
   City of Wilmington, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
CRITICAL LEVELS.--Action stage, 14.5 ft; flood stage, 16.5 ft; information provided by the National Weather Service.
Boating safety tips
This station managed by the MD-DE-DC Water Science Center Dover office.

Available Parameters Available Period
  
2025-07-21  2026-01-22
2007-10-01  2025-07-21
1989-06-01  2026-01-22
2023-10-10  2026-01-22
2007-10-01  2026-01-22
2025-07-21  2026-01-22
2007-10-01  2025-07-21
2025-07-21  2026-01-22
2007-10-01  2025-07-21
2025-07-21  2026-01-22
2007-10-01  2025-07-21
2025-09-24  2026-01-22
2017-11-16  2025-07-21
2007-10-01  2017-11-16







 (7)
 

  -- or --

 


 

Summary of all available data for this site
Instantaneous-data availability statement

Temperature, water, degrees Celsius
 
-- Data temporarily unavailable for the time period specified --


Temperature, water, degrees Celsius, Upstream, [Upstream Location]

Most recent instantaneous value: 0.6 01-22-2026   14:30 EST
Graph of  Temperature, water, degrees Celsius, [Upstream Location]

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Discharge, cubic feet per second

Most recent instantaneous value: 195 01-22-2026   14:30 EST
Graph of  Discharge, cubic feet per second

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Daily discharge, cubic feet per second -- statistics for Jan 22 based on 52 water years of record more
Min
(1981)
Most Recent
Instantaneous
Value Jan 22
25th
percen-
tile
Median Mean 75th
percen-
tile
Max
(1979)
121 195 273 420 546 627 4960


Gage height, feet, Upstream

Most recent instantaneous value: 18.60 01-22-2026   14:30 EST
Graph of  Gage height, feet

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Gage height, feet, [Downstream]

Most recent instantaneous value: 8.61 01-22-2026   15:15 EST
Graph of  Gage height, feet, [Downstream]

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Specific conductance, water, unfiltered, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius
 
-- Data temporarily unavailable for the time period specified --


Specific conductance, water, unfiltered, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius, Upstream

Most recent instantaneous value: 700 01-22-2026   14:30 EST
Graph of  Specific conductance, water, unfiltered, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius

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Dissolved oxygen, water, unfiltered, milligrams per liter
 
-- Data temporarily unavailable for the time period specified --


Dissolved oxygen, water, unfiltered, milligrams per liter, Upstream

Most recent instantaneous value: 15.2 01-22-2026   14:30 EST
Graph of  Dissolved oxygen, water, unfiltered, milligrams per liter

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pH, water, unfiltered, field, standard units
 
-- Data temporarily unavailable for the time period specified --


pH, water, unfiltered, field, standard units, Upstream

Most recent instantaneous value: 8.2 01-22-2026   14:30 EST
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Stream water level elevation above NAVD 1988, in feet

Most recent instantaneous value: 75.63 01-22-2026   15:15 EST
Graph of  Stream water level elevation above NAVD 1988, in feet

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Turbidity, water, unfiltered, monochrome near infra-red LED light, 780-900 nm, detection angle 90 +-2.5 degrees, formazin nephelometric units (FNU)
 
-- Data temporarily unavailable for the time period specified --

Turbidity, water, unfiltered, monochrome near infra-red LED light, 780-900 nm, detection angle 90 +-2.5 degrees, formazin nephelometric units (FNU), [Discontinued, TS087]
 
-- Data temporarily unavailable for the time period specified --