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USGS 01638500 POTOMAC RIVER AT POINT OF ROCKS, MD

PROVISIONAL DATA SUBJECT TO REVISION

Click to hidestation-specific text
Click for larger image LOCATION.--Lat 39°16'24.9", long 77°32'35.2", Frederick County, Hydrologic Unit 02070008, on left bank at downstream side of bridge on U.S. Highway 15 at Point of Rocks, 0.3 mi downstream from Catoctin Creek (Virginia), 6 mi upstream from Monocacy River, and at mile 159.5.
DRAINAGE AREA.--9,651 mi2.
PERIOD OF RECORD.--February 1895 to current year.
REVISIONS HISTORY.--WSP 192: 1895-1905. WSP 1432: 1899, 1901-2, 1904-5, 1912, 1914(M), 1915, 1917(M), 1918, 1919(M), 1920, 1921-23(M), 1924, 1925-28(M), 1930(M).
GAGE.--Water-stage recorder and crest-stage gage. Datum of gage is 199.91 ft above North American Vertical Datum of 1988. Prior to Oct. 28, 1929, nonrecording gage at same site. Prior to Sept. 2, 1902, at gage datum about 0.45 ft higher.
REMARKS.--Low flow affected slightly from 1913 to July 1981 by Stony River Reservoir; since December 1950 by Savage River Reservoir (see station 01597500); and since July 1981 by Jennings Randolph Lake. Low flow affected extensively at times by run-of-the-river hydroelectric plants. National Weather Service gage-height telemeter at station. U.S. Geological Survey satellite data-collection platform at station.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD.--Maximum discharge, 480,000 ft3/s, Mar. 19, 1936, gage height, 41.03 ft; minimum discharge, 530 ft3/s, Sept. 11, 12, 1966.
EXTREMES OUTSIDE PERIOD OF RECORD.--Flood of June 2, 1889, reached a stage of 40.2 ft, from floodmarks, discharge, about 460,000 ft3/s.
COOPERATION.--Funding for the operation of this station is provided by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Boating safety tips
This station managed by the MD-DE-DC Water Science Center Frostburg office.

Available Parameters Available Period
  
2021-05-07  2026-05-28
1972-05-24  2026-05-28
2007-10-01  2026-05-28
2021-05-07  2026-05-28
2021-05-07  2026-05-28
2021-05-07  2026-05-28
2007-10-01  2026-05-28
2021-05-07  2026-05-28







 (7)
 

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


Temperature, water, degrees Celsius

Most recent instantaneous value: 17.7 05-28-2026   10:55 EDT
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Discharge, cubic feet per second

Most recent instantaneous value: 27400 05-28-2026   10:55 EDT
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Daily discharge, cubic feet per second -- statistics for May 28 based on 131 water years of record more
Min
(1930)
25th
percen-
tile
Median Mean 75th
percen-
tile
Most Recent
Instantaneous
Value May 28
Max
(1913)
2120 5020 7710 9550 11400 27400 59800


Gage height, feet

Most recent instantaneous value: 7.05 05-28-2026   10:55 EDT
Graph of  Gage height, feet

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

Most recent instantaneous value: 202 05-28-2026   10:55 EDT
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Dissolved oxygen, water, unfiltered, milligrams per liter

Most recent instantaneous value: 9.1 05-28-2026   10:55 EDT
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pH, water, unfiltered, field, standard units

Most recent instantaneous value: 7.8 05-28-2026   10:55 EDT
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Stream water level elevation above NAVD 1988, in feet

Most recent instantaneous value: 206.96 05-28-2026   10:55 EDT
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)

Most recent instantaneous value: 31.1 05-28-2026   10:55 EDT
Graph of  Turbidity, water, unfiltered, monochrome near infra-red LED light, 780-900 nm, detection angle 90 +-2.5 degrees, formazin nephelometric units (FNU)

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