South Branch Raritan River near High Bridge NJ water level

Name: South Branch Raritan River near High Bridge 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, South Branch Raritan River, New Jersey, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

5.91ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 01:45 AM EDT (34 min ago)

Flow: 46.0 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at South Branch Raritan River near High Bridge NJ, where the gauge shows 5.91 ft.

It is 4.09 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 5.91 ft – 6.21 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: 14.26 ftJanuary 28, 1994

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.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.26 ft	January 28, 1994
2	12.92 ft	August 28, 2011
3	12.07 ft	January 25, 1979
4	11.97 ft	February 1, 1982
5	11.78 ft	March 15, 1940
6	11.39 ft	January 10, 2024
7	11.18 ft	September 28, 2011
8	11.13 ft	October 20, 1996
9	11.02 ft	April 5, 1984
10	10.97 ft	September 2, 2021

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 63° 47° – Wind 14 mph

22 Thu 65° 45° – Wind 14 mph

23 Fri 58° 39° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 59° 36° – Wind 4 mph

25 Sun 62° 39° – Wind 6 mph

26 Mon 66° 41° – Wind 5 mph

27 Tue 66° 46° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:12 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the South Branch Raritan River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Branch Raritan River at Stanton NJRiver gauge, South Branch Raritan River	2.51 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	7 mi
South Branch Raritan River at South Branch NJRiver gauge, South Branch Raritan River	2.28 ft	No reference yet	−0.04 ft	13 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Spruce Run at Main Street at Glen Gardner NJRiver gauge, Spruce Run	2.80 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	3.2 mi
Spruce Run at Clinton NJRiver gauge, Spruce Run	1.53 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	3.2 mi
Mulhockaway Creek at Van Syckel NJRiver gauge, Mulhockaway Creek	0.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	5.1 mi
South B Rockaway Creek at Whitehouse Station NJRiver gauge, South B Rockaway Creek	6.1 cfs	Normal	+0.6 cfs	7 mi
Lamington (Black) River near Pottersville NJRiver gauge, Lamington (Black) River	1.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	9 mi
Musconetcong River near Bloomsbury NJRiver gauge, Musconetcong River	1.60 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	10 mi
Lamington River at Burnt Mills NJRiver gauge, Lamington River	3.04 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Middle Brook at Burnt Mills NJRiver gauge, Middle Brook	4.00 ft	Below flood stage	−2.03 ft	11 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the South Branch Raritan River near High Bridge NJ?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 4.09 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 South Branch Raritan River near High Bridge NJ today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 01:45 AM EDT, the water level was 5.91 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is South Branch Raritan River near High Bridge NJ rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of South Branch Raritan River near High Bridge NJ normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at South Branch Raritan River near High Bridge NJ?

The highest level on record is 14.26 ft on January 28, 1994.

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:01396500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.67778, -74.87917 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	5.91 ft	2026-10-21 05:45	Provisional
Flow	46.0 cfs	2026-10-21 05:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: South Branch Raritan River near High Bridge NJ (usgs:01396500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-jersey/south-branch-raritan-river-near-high-bridge-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