Delaware River level at Delaware Water Gap
Pennsylvania · Tubing & floating
Measured at USGS 01440200 — Delaware River near Delaware Water Gap Pa · NWS forecast point TKSN4
Reading taken · as of 48 min ago
No seasonal normal for this gauge
USGS has not published enough daily statistics for this site to compare this reading against a seasonal normal, so this page shows the reading and its recent trend rather than a percent-of-normal figure.
Sponsor Delaware River
One exclusive sponsor per river, on every gauge page for it.
Cancel anytime · Questions?
Flood stages at Delaware Water Gap
National Weather Service categories for gauge TKSN4, WFO PHI. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
-
Major flood 25.0 ft
- 25.0 ft Campsites in Worthington State Forest in New Jersey flood.
- 30.0 ft All delaware water gap recreation resources are impacted, including natural and cultural resources, archeological sites, visitor use facilities, and infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and utilities.
-
Moderate flood 23.0 ft
- 23.0 ft Route 209 is closed.
-
Minor flood 21.0 ft
- 21.0 ft Approach roads to the Shawnee Inn flood. Route 209 begins to flood.
- 22.0 ft Many local roads that connect to Route 209, River Road, and other park roads are closed.
-
Action 20.0 ft · 86,977 CFS
- Right now 6.58 ft
NWS forecast: 6.70 ft by .
Flow history at Delaware Water Gap
Daily values from USGS 01440200, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for TKSN4 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Delaware Water Gap
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 37.40 ft | 260,000 CFS | Aug 19, 1955 |
| 33.87 ft | 225,000 CFS | Jun 28, 2006 |
| 33.24 ft | 215,000 CFS | Apr 3, 2005 |
| 30.34 ft | 176,000 CFS | Sep 19, 2004 |
| 28.40 ft | 155,000 CFS | Jan 20, 1996 |
| 24.95 ft | 128,000 CFS | Sep 9, 2011 |
| 24.00 ft | 110,000 CFS | Mar 16, 1986 |
| 23.82 ft | 109,000 CFS | Jun 30, 1973 |
| 23.21 ft | — | Aug 29, 2011 |
| 22.88 ft | 104,520 CFS | Mar 12, 2011 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Delaware River at Delaware Water Gap
The Delaware at the Water Gap is the summer float for two metro areas at once, with New York and Philadelphia traffic arriving at the Kittatinny and Shawnee liveries on the same weekends. It is a big, wide, generally forgiving river here, which is precisely why the number matters: a level that looks harmless from the bank is moving a lot of water across a wide channel.
It is also not purely a weather river. Far upstream in the Catskills, releases from the New York City water-supply reservoirs shape the baseflow, particularly in dry summers, so a low reading here reflects an upstream management picture as well as local rainfall.
Delaware River at Delaware Water Gap — common questions
5 questions
Is the Delaware at the Water Gap free-flowing?
On this reach, yes — there is no dam on the main stem above the Water Gap. But the headwater branches in the Catskills are dammed for the New York City water supply, and the releases from those reservoirs support the flow that reaches here, especially in a dry summer. So it is a natural river with a managed floor under it.
What is high water on this stretch?
Higher than it looks. The channel is wide and the gradient gentle, so the river can be moving substantially more water than the surface suggests, and the liveries suspend trips well before it looks dramatic. Use the seasonal comparison above rather than the raw figure, and check with the outfitter before driving out.
Does rain upstream change Delaware River at Delaware Water Gap quickly?
Yes. It is free-flowing, so rain upstream moves it directly. Several feet in a few hours is normal after a heavy storm.
Is Delaware River at Delaware Water Gap high or low for this time of year?
USGS has not published enough daily statistics for this site to compute a seasonal median, so this page shows the reading and its trend instead.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 01440200 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for TKSN4 a few times a day — more often when the river is rising. This page refreshes from both when you open it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.