Rockaway River at Main Street at Boonton NJ water level

Name: Rockaway River at Main Street at Boonton NJ 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, Rockaway River, New Jersey, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.04ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 111 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 10:03 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Rockaway River at Main Street at Boonton NJ is at 1.04 ft, in the normal range.

It is 3.46 ft below the flood stage of 4.50 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 1.03 ft and 1.17 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 4.71 ftDecember 18, 2023
Forecast peak: 1.00 ftTuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Rockaway River at Main Street at Boonton NJ

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Flood stage here is 4.50 ft, 3.46 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

10.00 ft: Main Street businesses in Denville experience several feet of water.
9.00 ft: Businesses on Main Street in Denville begin to flood. Sections of Boonton (municipality) begin to flood.
8.00 ft: Interstate Route 80 in Denville floods. Portions of Dover Township are under several feet of water.
7.00 ft: Park's Lake area in Denville is flooded. Residents near Savage Road in Denville take on water. Residential areas in Dover Township adjacent to the river experience significant flooding.
6.00 ft: Main Street in Rockaway is flooded. Jackson Avenue in Rockaway is flooded. Water backs up and comes through the sewer system. Main Street in Denville begins to flood. Gardner Park in Denville experiences significant flooding. Football and baseball fields are submerged in several feet of water. Portions of Boonton Township begin to flood.
5.50 ft: The main parking lot at St. Clare's Hospital begins to flood.
5.00 ft: Savage Road and other roads around Gardner Park in Denville flood.
3.50 ft: The Rockaway River leaves its banks and floods adjacent parks and trails in Denville including Gardner park.
2.00 ft: The Rockaway River leaves its banks and begins to flood the river parking lot at St. Clare's Hospital.
1.04 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	4.71 ft	December 18, 2023
2	4.67 ft	January 10, 2024
3	3.70 ft	May 1, 2014

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 64° 43° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 58° 43° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 62° 38° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 56° 41° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 58° 36° – Wind 5 mph

25 Sun 61° 39° – Wind 8 mph

26 Mon 66° 44° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:11 PM Daylight 10 hr, 56 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on the Rockaway River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rockaway River at Warren Street at Dover NJRiver gauge, Rockaway River	49.6 cfs	Normal	+1.2 cfs	8 mi
Rockaway River below Reservoir at Boonton NJRiver gauge, Rockaway River	2.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	1.5 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Whippany River near Pine Brook NJRiver gauge, Whippany River	3.53 ft	High	−0.40 ft	5.7 mi
Passaic River at Pine Brook NJRiver gauge, Passaic River	14.93 ft	Below flood stage	−0.61 ft	6.0 mi
Whippany River at Morristown NJRiver gauge, Whippany River	2.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	7 mi
Green Pond Brook at Picatinny Arsenal NJRiver gauge, Green Pond Brook	1.56 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	7 mi
Pequannock River at Macopin Intake Dam NJRiver gauge, Pequannock River	2.85 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	8 mi
Green Pond Bk below Picatinny Lake at Picatinny Ars NJRiver gauge, Green Pond Bk	5.2 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	8 mi
Passaic River at I-80 at Singac NJRiver gauge, Passaic River	3.47 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	8 mi
Pequannock River at Green Pond Junction NJRiver gauge, Pequannock River	53.3 cfs	High	−0.8 cfs	8 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Rockaway River at Main Street at Boonton NJ?

The official flood stage is 4.50 ft. The level is currently 3.46 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 Rockaway River at Main Street at Boonton NJ today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.04 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rockaway River at Main Street at Boonton NJ rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Rockaway River at Main Street at Boonton NJ normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rockaway River at Main Street at Boonton NJ?

The highest level on record is 4.71 ft on December 18, 2023.

Is Rockaway River at Main Street at Boonton NJ expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.00 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01380450 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.90750, -74.41917 (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	1.04 ft	2026-10-20 17:45	Provisional
Flow	111 cfs	2026-10-20 17:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rockaway River at Main Street at Boonton NJ (usgs:01380450). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-jersey/rockaway-river-at-main-street-at-boonton-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