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| An aerial view of Harpers Ferry, showing the confluence of the Potomac River with the Shenandoah River. (Credit: National Park Service) |
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| The newly installed stream gauge at Harpers Ferry, W. Va., replaces the previous gauge that was destroyed in a train derailment in late 2019. (Credit: U.S. Geological Survey) |
Continues nearly 150 years of river level record keeping for a flood-prone region
Water level observations have been restored on the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. NOAA’s National Weather Service, the National Park Service’s Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the U.S. Geological Survey collaborated to install a new stage-only stream gauge on the Potomac River. A “stage-only” gauge measures the water level above a reference elevation, also referred to as a “stage.” The water level observations at Harpers Ferry are one of the longest records of river level data on the Potomac River, documenting flooding since the late 1800s. This gauge is a replacement for the previous gauge that was destroyed by a train derailment in December 2019.
"Through a partnership of the National Weather Service, National Park Service and U.S. Geologic Survey, the historic Harpers Ferry stream gauge has been successfully reestablished,” said James E. Lee, meteorologist-in-charge at the agency’s Baltimore/Washington forecast office. “This partnership has ensured that this nearly 150-year record of Potomac River flooding will continue into the future."
Stream gauges monitor how much water is flowing in streams and rivers. Real-time observations from this site and other sites on the Potomac are used by forecasters to monitor river stages, produce river forecasts, and to issue river flood watches and warnings for the protection of life and property.
“The information from this new gauge is critical to give shoreline communities along the upper Potomac River the time they need to prepare and keep people safe,” said Lee. “It also helps track Potomac River water flow that ultimately impacts Washington, D.C. as it flows downstream.”
Flood categories at this site will remain unchanged from the previous levels:
The new gauge is located slightly upstream from where the Shenandoah River merges into the Potomac River. Water level data from the new gauge are available on NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service website.
Contact
NWS Public Affairs, nws.pa@noaa.gov
Christopher Strong, christopher.strong@noaa.gov
