Sandy River near Mercer, Maine water level

Name: Sandy River near Mercer, 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, Sandy River, Maine, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.26ft Down 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT (50 min ago)

Flow: 243 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.10 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Sandy River near Mercer, Maine, where the gauge shows 3.26 ft.

It is 6.74 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.24 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.10 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 3.21 ft – 3.51 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 19.25 ftApril 1, 1987
Forecast peak: 3.20 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 10.00 ft.

What happens at each level

19.00 ft: Approaching levels seen during the historical 1987 flood. Significant property damage between Farmington and New Sharon. Hundreds of acres of farmland flooded in Mercer and Starks.
18.00 ft: Route 2 bridge in New Sharon flooded. Starks Road to Glen Harris Road flooded in New Sharon.
17.00 ft: Level comparable with December 2023. Dozens of properties between Farmington and New Sharon flooded. Access in and out of the region limited due to flooded bridges. Floodwaters several feet deep in Farmington along Main Street and Front Street.
16.00 ft: Major flooding occurs. Flooding impacts homes and businesses from Farmington Falls to Norridgewock. Main Street in Farmington flooded up to to 4 feet depth.
15.00 ft: Starks Road in New Sharon flooded. Water enters businesses on Main Street in Farmington.
14.00 ft: Moderate flooding occurs. Businesses inundated along Main Street in Farmington south of the University. Floodwaters encroach on homes along East Sandy River Road in Mercer.
13.00 ft: Flood waters encroach on properties along Front Street and Main Street in Farmington. Extensive flooding of recreational fields occurs. The flood extent along East Sandy River Road in Mercer cuts off access to multiple homes.
12.00 ft: Flooding of Prescott Field and Hippach Field in Farmington, and low land pasture flooding downstream.
10.00 ft: Minor flooding occurs on George Thomas Road in New Sharon. Floodwaters can encroach on low lying portion of West and East Sandy River Road in Mercer due to culverts backing up under certain conditions. Locals are advised to find alternate routes.
8.00 ft: The river is at bankfull in low lying areas, some erosion may occur.
3.26 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 6 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	19.25 ft	April 1, 1987
2	17.35 ft	December 19, 2023
3	16.75 ft	March 19, 1936
4	16.34 ft	March 28, 1953
5	15.85 ft	March 13, 1936
6	14.65 ft	December 28, 1969
7	14.62 ft	May 2, 2023
8	14.62 ft	May 2, 2023
9	14.52 ft	March 18, 1973
10	14.47 ft	February 6, 1946

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 52° 27° – Wind 9 mph

19 Mon 58° 35° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 59° 35° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 54° 34° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 60° 34° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 46° 31° – Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 53° 28° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:01 AM Sunset 05:50 PM Daylight 10 hr, 49 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Sandy River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Sandy River near Madrid, MaineRiver gauge, Sandy River	5.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	29 mi
Sandy River near FarmingtonRiver gauge, Sandy River	3.15 ft	No reference yet	−0.14 ft	12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kennebec River near Madison, MaineRiver gauge, Kennebec River	2,080 cfs	Low	+70.0 cfs	5.5 mi
Carrabassett River near North Anson, MaineRiver gauge, Carrabassett River	3.16 ft	Below flood stage	−0.26 ft	11 mi
Kennebec River at North Sidney, MaineRiver gauge, Kennebec River	5.88 ft	Below flood stage	+0.34 ft	21 mi
East Branch Wesserunsett Stream near Athens, MaineRiver gauge, East Branch Wesserunsett Stream	16.6 cfs	Normal	−3.0 cfs	22 mi
Kennebec River at Bingham, MaineRiver gauge, Kennebec River	2,420 cfs	Low	+880 cfs	24 mi
Austin Stream at Bingham, MaineRiver gauge, Austin Stream	76.1 cfs	Normal	−42.9 cfs	25 mi
Kennebec River at Calumet Bridge at Augusta, MaineTidal gauge, Kennebec River	1.48 ft	Below flood stage	+0.95 ft	28 mi
Kennebec River at Hallowell, MaineTidal gauge, Kennebec River	1.86 ft	Below flood stage	+1.04 ft	30 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Sandy River near Mercer, Maine?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 6.74 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 Sandy River near Mercer, Maine today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT, the water level was 3.26 ft. Down 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Sandy River near Mercer, Maine rising or falling?

Down 0.24 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Sandy River near Mercer, Maine normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Sandy River near Mercer, Maine?

The highest level on record is 19.25 ft on April 1, 1987.

Is Sandy River near Mercer, Maine expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.10 ft by Monday, October 19 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01048000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.70806, -69.93750 (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	3.26 ft	2026-10-19 15:00	Provisional
Flow	243 cfs	2026-10-19 15:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/7489?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Sandy River near Mercer, Maine water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Sandy River near Mercer, Maine (usgs:01048000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maine/sandy-river-near-mercer-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