Saco River at Cornish, Maine water level

Name: Saco River at Cornish, Maine water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Saco River, Maine, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.38ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 10:45 AM EDT (31 min ago)

Flow: 1,530 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Saco River at Cornish, Maine, where the gauge shows 3.38 ft.

It is 10.12 ft below the flood stage of 13.50 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 3.38 ft – 3.67 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 21.90 ftMarch 21, 1936

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 13.50 ft.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Disastrous flooding occurs along the Saco River. Record Flooding exceeding the March 21, 1936 flood, and almost 6 feet higher than the flood of 1987. Inundation is around the FEMA 0.2 percent flood level. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
20.00 ft: Extremely severe flooding occurs along the Saco River from Cornish to Bonny Eagle. This will approach the March 29, 1953 flood, which reached 20.5 feet. Inundation is around the FEMA 1 percent flood level. This is an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation.
16.50 ft: Very severe flooding occurs from Cornish to Bonny Eagle, comparable to the flood of 1987. Numerous structures become flooded with buildings on campgrounds flooded by several feet. This is a very dangerous and life threatening situation.
16.00 ft: Severe flooding occurs from Cornish to Bonny Eagle. This is a dangerous situation.
15.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs downstream in Limington. Access roads of Island Drive and River Road become impassable.
13.50 ft: Minor flooding occurs along River Road in Cornish and downstream in Limington. Some permanent buildings on the campgrounds become isolated.
11.00 ft: River is out of banks and into Bonny Eagle Recreational fields and farmland off Sokokis Ave in Limington. Extreme turbulence makes the river too hazardous for recreational paddling.
10.00 ft: Recreational floating the river is too hazardous due to strong turbulence and high flows. Faster flows along the river are expected but no flooding occurs. Campers near the river should move to higher ground.
3.38 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	21.90 ft	March 21, 1936
2	20.51 ft	March 29, 1953
3	16.54 ft	April 3, 1987
4	15.11 ft	June 18, 1998
5	14.72 ft	May 2, 1923
6	14.58 ft	January 30, 1986
7	14.39 ft	April 23, 1969
8	14.17 ft	January 13, 1956
9	13.03 ft	May 5, 2023
10	12.97 ft	April 23, 2019

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.14 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 53° 29° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 60° 37° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 62° 40° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 55° 35° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 63° 35° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 48° 32° – Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 54° 29° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:02 AM Sunset 05:56 PM Daylight 10 hr, 55 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on the Saco River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Saco River at River Street, at BartlettRiver gauge, Saco River	3.02 ft	Below flood stage	−0.23 ft	31 mi
Saco River near ConwayRiver gauge, Saco River	2.98 ft	Below flood stage	−0.18 ft	20 mi
Saco River at Camp Ellis near Saco, MaineEstuary gauge, Saco River	−2.47 ft	No reference yet	+0.28 ft	31 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sebago Lake near North Windham, MaineLake, Sebago Lake	262.79 ft	Very low	−0.07 ft	14 mi
Presumpscot River near West Falmouth, MaineRiver gauge, Presumpscot River	2.13 ft	Below flood stage	+0.08 ft	25 mi
Bearcamp River at South TamworthRiver gauge, Bearcamp River	48.6 cfs	Normal	−12.0 cfs	25 mi
Mousam River at Route 4 near Sanford, MaineRiver gauge, Mousam River	60.2 cfs	Normal	+37.0 cfs	27 mi
Mousam River near West Kennebunk, MaineRiver gauge, Mousam River	64.2 cfs	Normal	−3.6 cfs	28 mi
Kennebunk River near Kennebunk, MaineRiver gauge, Kennebunk River	8.0 cfs	Low	−2.2 cfs	28 mi
Royal River at Yarmouth, MaineRiver gauge, Royal River	39.7 cfs	Low	−9.6 cfs	30 mi
Branch Brook near Kennebunk, MaineRiver gauge, Branch Brook	8.3 cfs	Low	−1.8 cfs	31 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Saco River at Cornish, Maine?

The official flood stage is 13.50 ft. The level is currently 10.12 ft below it.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Saco River at Cornish, Maine today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 10:45 AM EDT, the water level was 3.38 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Saco River at Cornish, Maine rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Saco River at Cornish, Maine normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Saco River at Cornish, Maine?

The highest level on record is 21.90 ft on March 21, 1936.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01066000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 43.80806, -70.78167 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	3.38 ft	2026-10-18 14:45	Provisional
Flow	1,530 cfs	2026-10-18 14:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Saco River at Cornish, Maine (usgs:01066000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maine/saco-river-at-cornish-maine

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer