Potomac River at Wisconsin Ave, Washington Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Potomac River at Wisconsin Ave, Washington in DC, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location DC, United States
- Watershed middle potomac anacostia occoquan
- Primary gauge 01647600 (USGS)
About Potomac River at Wisconsin Ave, Washington
The Potomac River at Wisconsin Ave, Washington is a gauged river in the Middle Potomac-Anacostia-Occoquan watershed, DC.
What the record shows
The station has 17 years on record. Its highest mark is 8.4 ft (2.56 m), set in March 2010. Its lowest mark is -2.93 ft (-0.89 m), set in March 2018.
The seasonal pattern is modest by comparison. The highest typical month is September at 1.24 ft (0.38 m), while the lowest typical month is January at 0.45 ft (0.14 m). The typical annual swing is 9.6 in (24.3 cm).
For people using the river, that spread matters. A dock, ramp, or low shoreline spot can sit through much of the year in a narrow band, then move outside that band when the river reaches its recorded extremes. The March records also show that this reach can sit at very different levels in the same season from one year to another.
The watershed
This station sits in the Middle Potomac-Anacostia-Occoquan watershed, where winter and spring rain can bring higher water, and tropical remnants can drive the biggest events. On the lower river, tidal influence also matters.
That matters for reading day-to-day changes here. A rise or fall is not just a number on a page; it changes how far a bank edge holds, how a launch behaves, and how much clearance there is around near-shore structures. The seasonal swing here is small enough that regular use may feel steady, but the record shows the river can move well outside that usual band.
Reading the hero number
The hero number on this page should be read against the median for this calendar day across the station’s own record, not as a raw elevation by itself. That comparison shows whether today is running above or below the river’s normal level for this date.
For a gauge with more than 17 years on record, that daily median is the better reference because it filters out the normal seasonal pattern. Water Survey of Canada, CEHQ, the U.S. Geological Survey, or the named source on a given page use the same basic idea: compare today with the station’s history, then decide what that means on the ground.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for 17,900+ lakes and rivers
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers in a growing number of countries. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 17,900 gauged lakes and rivers in a growing number of countries, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, the Environment Agency for England, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Natural Resources Wales, the Office of Public Works in Ireland (waterlevel.ie), the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), the State of Queensland's water monitoring network, and on the Great Lakes the Canadian Hydrographic Service and NOAA. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
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