Passaic River at Little Falls NJ water level
River gauge, Passaic River, New Jersey, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 1,030 cfs
History
The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 09:39 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
The Passaic River at Little Falls NJ is at 2.37 ft, in the normal range.
It is 4.63 ft below the flood stage of 7.00 ft.
It has dropped 0.15 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 2.36 ft and 2.74 ft.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 14.19 ftAugust 30, 2011
- Forecast peak
- 2.40 ftMonday, October 19 at 08:00 AM
Floating and fishing near Passaic River at Little Falls NJ
Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.
Flood stage here is 7.00 ft, 4.63 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.
What happens at each level
- 12.00 ft
- Wagaraw Road in Hawthorne, between Lafayette Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, is closed. Passaic Avenue, Schoon Avenue and Vincent Street are also closed. Homes and businesses flood.
- 11.50 ft
- Tyler Street, Shady Street, Arch Street, Lowe Street, Wood Street, and Bleeker Street in Paterson are closed due to flooding.
- 11.00 ft
- The West Broadway Bridge in Paterson is subject to closures.
- 10.50 ft
- Businesses along Route 46 in Wayne begin to flood. Route 23 floods. The Willowbrook Mall experiences flooding. Haledon Avenue bridge in Paterson is subject to closures. Also in Paterson, portions of Straight Street, Union Avenue, West Broadway, Ryle Avenue, East Main Street, North Main Street, and Haledon Avenue are also subject to closures due to flooding.
- 10.00 ft
- Wagaraw Road in Hawthorne is closed. Homes and businesses in Hawthorne, directly along the river, begin to flood. Water begins to flow over the Temple Street bridge in Paterson.
- 9.50 ft
- Route 46 in Wayne is subject to closures. Riverside Drive in Wayne floods. Flooding in Little Falls worsens as homes on William Street and Zeliff Avenue take on water. Arch Street and Temple Street bridges in Paterson are subject to closures. Also in Paterson, portions of Watson Street, Hillman Street, Bergen Street, east Holsman Street, North 1st Street, Fifth Avenue, Sixth Avenue, and Goodwin Street are also subject to closures due to flooding.
- 9.00 ft
- Widespread flooding occurs throughout Lincoln Park and Wayne with many evacuations. In Paterson, portions of River Street, Presidential Boulevard, Bridge Street, Tyler Street, Totowa Avenue and Mclean Boulevard are flooded.
- 8.50 ft
- Widespread flooding occurs in Fairfield.
- 8.00 ft
- Flooding occurs in the "Old" Wayne area of Wayne. The recycling center and Wagaraw Road ball field complex in Hawthorne begins to experience flooding.
- 7.00 ft
- Minor flooding begins in Lincoln Park, Wayne and Little Falls.
- 6.50 ft
- Low lying areas in the vicinity of Two Bridges in Wayne are flooded. The lower end of Bergen Street in Paterson, closest to the river, begins to flood.
- 6.00 ft
- Portions of Hoffman Grove in Wayne sustain some nuisance flooding.
- 2.37 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: 20 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14.19 ft | August 30, 2011 |
| 2 | 12.91 ft | April 7, 1984 |
| 3 | 11.88 ft | April 18, 2007 |
| 4 | 11.87 ft | March 16, 2010 |
| 5 | 11.81 ft | March 13, 2011 |
| 6 | 11.05 ft | September 9, 2011 |
| 7 | 10.73 ft | May 31, 1968 |
| 8 | 10.29 ft | December 20, 2023 |
| 9 | 10.11 ft | April 4, 2005 |
| 10 | 10.08 ft | June 1, 1984 |
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the Passaic River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passaic River near Millington NJRiver gauge, Passaic River | 5.08 ft | Below flood stage | −0.16 ft | 21 mi |
| Passaic River near Chatham NJRiver gauge, Passaic River | 4.08 ft | Below flood stage | −0.08 ft | 14 mi |
| Passaic River at Pine Brook NJRiver gauge, Passaic River | 15.67 ft | Below flood stage | −0.49 ft | 5.2 mi |
| Passaic River below Pompton River at Two Bridges NJRiver gauge, Passaic River | 4.68 ft | No reference yet | −0.16 ft | 2.4 mi |
| Passaic River at I-80 at Singac NJRiver gauge, Passaic River | 3.66 ft | Below flood stage | −0.16 ft | 2.2 mi |
| Passaic River above Beatties Dam at Little Falls NJRiver gauge, Passaic River | 8.90 ft | Below flood stage | −0.09 ft | 0.4 mi |
| Passaic River at Dundee Dam at Clifton NJRiver gauge, Passaic River | 1.53 ft | Below flood stage | −0.05 ft | 5.1 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peckman River at Little Falls NJRiver gauge, Peckman River | 9.6 cfs | Normal | −0.5 cfs | 0.9 mi |
| Peckman River at Ozone Ave at Verona NJRiver gauge, Peckman River | −0.44 ft | Below flood stage | −0.01 ft | 2.8 mi |
| Molly Ann Brook at North Haledon NJRiver gauge, Molly Ann Brook | 3.09 ft | Below flood stage | −0.01 ft | 5.2 mi |
| Third River at Bloomfield NJRiver gauge, Third River | 1.95 ft | Below flood stage | −0.01 ft | 6.2 mi |
| Pompton River at Pompton Plains NJRiver gauge, Pompton River | 8.49 ft | Below flood stage | −0.08 ft | 7 mi |
| Whippany River near Pine Brook NJRiver gauge, Whippany River | 4.02 ft | High | −0.51 ft | 7 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Passaic River at Little Falls NJ?
The official flood stage is 7.00 ft. The level is currently 4.63 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 Passaic River at Little Falls NJ today?
On Oct 19, 2026, 09:45 AM EDT, the water level was 2.37 ft. Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Passaic River at Little Falls NJ rising or falling?
Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Passaic River at Little Falls NJ normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Passaic River at Little Falls NJ?
The highest level on record is 14.19 ft on August 30, 2011.
Is Passaic River at Little Falls NJ expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.90 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 08:00 AM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:01389500(Agency page)- Coordinates
40.88472, -74.22611(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 | 2.37 ft | 2026-10-19 13:45 | Provisional |
| Flow | 1,030 cfs | 2026-10-19 13:45 | Provisional |
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Passaic River at Little Falls NJ (usgs:01389500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-jersey/passaic-river-at-little-falls-nj
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