Spring 2025 Newsletter - In The Flow
The USGS In The Flow newsletter focuses on water science issues in the Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. region.
In this Spring 2025 edition: 22 Million Data Points • New Harper's Ferry Gage • Remote Cameras • New Gages • Videos • Publications
22 Million Data Points
Our Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C. Water Science Center collected 22 million data points in fiscal year 2024 across our USGS continuous monitoring network of stream, water quality, precipitation, and groundwater sites.
Each singular data point may seem insignificant, but the sum of all paints a picture of the state of our landscape. U.S. Geological Survey water data is beneficial to our region in too many ways to count, but here are just a few of the ways our data benefits you:
- Providing vital gage data to the National Weather Service and NOAA, who use our data for flood warnings and modelling, helping to protect lives and property.
- Tracking Chesapeake Bay watershed health through Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Suspended Sediment loads and trends with the Non-Tidal Network.
- Monitoring streamflow of the Potomac River at Point of Rocks, which our partners at the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) use to track drought conditions.
- Providing alerts on river conditions via email or text through Water Alert.
- Providing water managers at the Army Corps of Engineers with the data they need to manage water releases at Jennings Randolph Lake, protecting the health of the North Branch Potomac River.
- Providing water managers with data for water releases along the Youghiogheny River, helping recreationalists as well.
- Monitoring the saltwater front in the Delaware Bay, which is important for water supplies in Philadelphia. Learn more about NGWOS in the Delaware River.
New streamgage at Harper's Ferry with funding from National Park Service assists in National Weather Service flood warnings
Nestled alongside the pedestrian and train bridge above the Potomac River, just before the Shenandoah River flows into the Potomac on its descent toward our nation’s capital, sits a USGS streamgage in the scenic and historic town of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.
Because of the town’s proximity to the Potomac River, Harper’s Ferry is no stranger to floods. Over the centuries, floodwaters have reached the town a number of times, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
Streamgaging and water monitoring efforts along the Potomac River at Harper’s Ferry, WV have been undertaken by various bureaus for nearly 150 years, with water-level reports dating back to 1877, and a National Weather Service (NWS) gauge installed in the 2010s.
However, a dead-of-night train derailment took out the gage along with a portion of the pedestrian footbridge in December of 2019. Thankfully, no one was hurt in this incident. The bridge has since been restored, and the USGS built the new streamgage, Potomac River at Harper’s Ferry, WV (01620000), with funding from NPS.
The National Weather Service uses real-time and historical stage and discharge data from USGS streamgages alongside weather forecasts to issue flood warnings and watches as well as river water-level forecasts, alerting people in a potentially affected area to secure belongings and seek safety.
We continue to add cameras to our monitoring sites
We’ve continued to augment our monitoring sites with cameras as part of the HIVIS program. These cameras, which take photos at fixed intervals, help us verify the data that our gage is reporting, notice any changes to the stream that may influence the data, and check conditions before sampling. These cameras can potentially save us a trip to the site!
We added cameras to Susquehanna River near Darlington, MD (01579550), Sligo Creek near Takoma Park, MD (01650800), Anacostia River near Buzzard Point, DC (01651827), Rock Creek at Joyce Rd, DC (01648010), Swan Creek at Swan Creek, MD (01580700), Sams Creek at McKinstrys Mill, MD (01640152), and Gunpowder Falls at Glencoe, MD (01582500), bringing our total to 17 sites with cameras within our Center.
Use HIVIS to see the images and compare them to flow data
We added 8 new sites over the Fall and Winter seasons
Headlining our monitoring site additions is our new streamgage Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, WV (01620000), which measures river stage. We are operating this site with our partners at the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Park Service (NPS). USGS streamgage data are used by NWS for flood forecasting, warning, and modelling efforts, providing invaluable benefits to the public.
We also added the following sites and capabilities:
- St. George Creek at Piney Point, MD (01661510): Stage and precipitation
- Potomac River at Burkittsville Rd at Brunswick, MD (01636765): Stage
- Sams Creek at McKinstrys Mill, MD (01640152): Streamflow and water quality
- Impoundment near St. Jones River, DE (390808075295102): Stage
- Meetinghouse Branch at Camp Springs, MD (01653620): Streamflow and water quality
- Piscataway Creek at Woodyard, MD (01653560): Streamflow and water quality
- DE-KE-234910 (390757075294101): Groundwater level. Data at this site is not updated in real time.
Cold temperatures bring on new challenges
Think frozen streams means our work is done? Think again!
When the region plunged into the frigid cold this January, we were outside taking streamflow measurements underneath the ice. Ice can affect our gage instrumentation, and water is often still flowing underneath the ice. We remain committed to collecting data at all times of year.
To collect a measurement, we cut a number of holes across the ice and measure at multiple spots to capture the full variations in water speed across the width of the stream, which are then integrated into a single flow value.
And we make sure to follow safety protocols to ensure that everyone returns warm and dry!
Follow Us on Social Media
We get it, our data can be very abstract at times. That’s why we try to make it a little more personable. If you support what we do, consider following us on social media. Follow Us on Instagram || Follow Us on Facebook
What’s it like to be a water scientist?
Find out with our video series, “USGS On The Road.” We just published 7 new short videos about our work across the region, covering topics such as water quality, sediment, and aquatic habitat assessment. These are perfect to send to that aspiring scientist in your life. Watch now
Stay Up-To-Date On Our Latest Science
These are the latest publications that our Center’s scientists contributed to:
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