Patuxent River below Brighton Dam

Highest listed crest 11.88 ftFlood stage 9.0 ft6 crests since 1989

The Patuxent River below Brighton Dam crested above flood stage 5 times among the 6 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1989 to 2015. The highest, 11.88 ft on January 31, 2013, was minor flooding, 2.88 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Patuxent River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest: 11.88 ft; January 31, 2013; 5,730 cubic feet per second
Flood stage: 9.0 ft; No major stage set
Crests at major: 0; 5 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest: June 28, 2015; 9.22 ft, minor flooding
Location: Montgomery County; Near Laurel (10.2 mi), Gaithersburg (10.6 mi), Rockville (11.0 mi)
Identifiers: NWS BGHM2; USGS 01591610

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Patuxent River below Brighton Dam

Action stage	8.0	0	—	The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)	9.0	5	Jun 28, 2015	Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

6 crests from 1989 to 2015. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Patuxent River below Brighton Dam

1	Jan 31, 2013	11.88	+2.88	Minor	5,730
2	May 1, 2014	11.41	+2.41	Minor	5,157
3	Dec 11, 2003	11.03	+2.03	Minor	4,800
4	May 6, 1989	10.26	+1.26	Minor	2,650
5	Jun 28, 2015	9.22	+0.22	Minor	3,190
6	Sep 9, 1996	7.82	−1.18	Below flood stage	1,870

The worst floods along the Patuxent River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Patuxent River that crested above flood stage within a week.

January 31, 2013: 11.88 ft here, minor flooding

Duckett Dam near LaurelMD · Jan 31, 2013 · 12.52 ft · Minor
UnityMD · Jan 31, 2013 · 10.49 ft · Minor

May 1, 2014: 11.41 ft here, minor flooding

Duckett Dam near LaurelMD · May 1, 2014 · 14.80 ft · Moderate
BowieMD · May 1, 2014 · 20.56 ft · Minor
UnityMD · Apr 30, 2014 · 8.81 ft · Minor
Solomons Island (IN MLLW)MD · May 1, 2014 · 3.83 ft · Minor

December 11, 2003: 11.03 ft here, minor flooding

Duckett Dam near LaurelMD · Dec 11, 2003 · 11.71 ft · Minor
UnityMD · Dec 11, 2003 · 10.02 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Patuxent River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Patuxent River

Solomons Island (IN MLLW)	MD	3.0	4.82 ft, Oct 29, 2021	0
Brighton Dam this gauge	MD	9.0	11.88 ft, Jan 31, 2013	0
Duckett Dam near Laurel	MD	9.5	25.00 ft, Jun 22, 1972	0
Bowie	MD	19.0	27.90 ft, Jun 22, 1972	0
Unity	MD	8.0	18.60 ft, Sep 11, 1971	1

Other gauges in Montgomery County

Flood gauges in Montgomery County

Sandy Spring	6.5	9.24 ft, Jan 19, 1996	0
Kemp Mill	9.0	15.89 ft, Jun 22, 1972	0
Unity	8.0	18.60 ft, Sep 11, 1971	1
Edwards Ferry	15.0	22.45 ft, Jun 5, 2018	0
Washington DC (Little Falls)	10.0	22.03 ft, Jun 24, 1972	4
Dawsonville	7.5	16.40 ft, Jun 22, 1972	2
Takoma Park	5.5	7.52 ft, Jul 19, 2025	0
Boyds	7.0	9.68 ft, Sep 8, 2011	0
Clarksburg	7.0	8.27 ft, Jul 30, 2016	0
Aspen Hill	10.0	12.78 ft, Aug 12, 2010	0

Montgomery County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Maryland

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BGHM2, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.