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Passaic River at Little Falls NJ water level

River gauge, Passaic River, New Jersey, United States

Directions

Right now

Below flood stage

Water level

2.37ft Down 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
1,030 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 14.19 ft Minor floodstage 7.00 ft

History

History
2.02.32.52.8ftOct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 20Oct 212.02.32.52.8ftOct 16Oct 18Oct 21
Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

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 %.

RankLevelDate
114.19 ftAugust 30, 2011
212.91 ftApril 7, 1984
311.88 ftApril 18, 2007
411.87 ftMarch 16, 2010
511.81 ftMarch 13, 2011
611.05 ftSeptember 9, 2011
710.73 ftMay 31, 1968
810.29 ftDecember 20, 2023
910.11 ftApril 4, 2005
1010.08 ftJune 1, 1984

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:13 AM Sunset 06:12 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 59%

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

ParameterLast valueTime (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.