On this page are links to current water level data for Chester County, PA and New Castle County, Delaware, with a focus on Brandywine and Red Clay Watersheds.

We measure water levels in three ways:

  1. Precipitation– is a measure of rain and snowfall and reflects precipitation falling on the ground, both pervious surfaces (soil, forest, lawns) and impervious surfaces (pavement, roofs, etc.). This precipitation either infiltrates the soils and becomes part of the subsurface groundwater or becomes stormwater run-off that flows directly to streams and waterways.
  2. Ground Water is measured at a test well and is the average depth to water in feet below the land surface. High precipitation is often reflected as high groundwater and may result in standing water in low areas after a rain event.  Conversely, low groundwater reflects a lack of precipitation and potentially drought conditions.
  3. Stream Flow– is a measure of the average flow, in cubic feet per second in a stream. This chart shows stream flow on the Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford, PA.  Stormwater run-off will often be reflected as higher stream flows.  In wet months, soils may be saturated and most precipitation flows directly to streams which may rise quickly.  During drought conditions, stream base flow is fed by groundwater seeping into streams and is reflected as lower flows in the stream.

Together these three measurements are related and give a picture of current water levels and may explain conditions that we observe including standing water, flooding waterways, erosion, low water levels and drought stressed vegetation.

If you’d like to see more and specific data for your location or local stream, click on the interactive maps for site specific data from water flow to temperature to turbidity and pH.

Today’s Water Levels for Chester County

 

Precipitation (Moving 90-Day)
Moving 90-Day Total Precipitation Opens in new windowSource: Pennsylvania Drought Monitoring
Ground Water (Moving 30-Day)30-Day Groundwater at Well 10 Opens in new windowSource: Pennsylvania Drought Monitoring
Stream Flow (Moving 30-Day)
Moving 30-Day Streamflow at Chadds Ford Opens in new windowSource: Pennsylvania Drought Monitoring
Precipitation (90-Day Precipitation & Departure from Average)
30-Day Precipitation and Departure from Average Opens in new window

Source: National Weather Service Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center

Ground Water (Most Recent Reading)
Current Ground Water Levels in observation wells in Chester County Opens in new windowSource: Chester County Observation Well Network
Stream Flow (7-Day Average Streamflow Compared to Historical Streamflow)
7-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow Opens in new window

Source: USGS WaterWatch

 

 

Today’s Water Levels for Delaware

 

Surface Water Conditions

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/water-dashboard/surface?state=de

Ground Water Conditions

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/water-dashboard/ground?state=de

Stream Flow (7-Day Average Streamflow Compared to Historical Streamflow)

Stream Flow (7-Day Average Streamflow Compared to Historical Streamflow)

Source: 7-Day Average Streamflow compared to Historical Streamflow

Precipitation (90-Day Precipitation & Departure from Average)

30-Day Precipitation and Departure from Average Opens in new window

Source: DC, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia 90 Day Departures