Patuxent River near Bowie

Highest listed crest 27.90 ftFlood stage 19.0 ft7 crests since 1972

The Patuxent River near Bowie crested above flood stage 4 times among the 7 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1972 to 2014. The highest, 27.90 ft on June 22, 1972, was minor flooding, 8.90 feet above flood stage. 2 other gauges on the Patuxent River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest: 27.90 ft; June 22, 1972; 31,100 cubic feet per second
Flood stage: 19.0 ft; No major stage set
Crests at major: 0; 4 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest: May 1, 2014; 20.56 ft, minor flooding
Location: Anne Arundel County; Near Bowie (2.4 mi), New Carrollton (9.9 mi), Annapolis (10.2 mi)
Identifiers: NWS BOWM2; USGS 01594440

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Patuxent River near Bowie

Action stage	17.0	3	Oct 30, 2012	The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)	19.0	4	May 1, 2014	Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat

Every listed crest

7 crests from 1972 to 2014. 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 near Bowie

1	Jun 22, 1972	27.90	+8.90	Minor	31,100
2	Sep 8, 2011	21.10	+2.10	Minor	16,800
3	May 1, 2014	20.56	+1.56	Minor	15,600
4	Jun 26, 2006	19.20	+0.20	Minor	12,700
5	Sep 7, 1979	18.52	−0.48	Action	11,500
6	Jan 27, 1978	18.04	−0.96	Action	10,600
7	Oct 30, 2012	18.02	−0.98	Action	10,800

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.

June 22, 1972: 27.90 ft here, minor flooding

Duckett Dam near LaurelMD · Jun 22, 1972 · 25.00 ft · Moderate · its highest
UnityMD · Jun 22, 1972 · 16.10 ft · Moderate

May 1, 2014: 20.56 ft here, minor flooding

Duckett Dam near LaurelMD · May 1, 2014 · 14.80 ft · Moderate
Brighton DamMD · May 1, 2014 · 11.41 ft · Minor
UnityMD · Apr 30, 2014 · 8.81 ft · Minor
Solomons Island (IN MLLW)MD · May 1, 2014 · 3.83 ft · Minor

June 26, 2006: 19.20 ft here, minor flooding

Duckett Dam near LaurelMD · Jun 27, 2006 · 11.40 ft · Minor
UnityMD · Jun 27, 2006 · 10.36 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	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 this gauge	MD	19.0	27.90 ft, Jun 22, 1972	0
Unity	MD	8.0	18.60 ft, Sep 11, 1971	1

Other gauges in Anne Arundel County

Flood gauges in Anne Arundel County

Glen Burnie	5.0	7.61 ft, Aug 12, 2014	0
Annapolis (IN MLLW)	2.6	7.16 ft, Sep 19, 2003	3

Anne Arundel County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Maryland

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BOWM2, 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.