Shetucket River near Willimantic water level

Name: Shetucket River near Willimantic 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, Shetucket River, Connecticut, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.85ft Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 04:30 PM EDT (23 min ago)

Flow: 392 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.40 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 11:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Shetucket River near Willimantic is at 2.85 ft, in the normal range for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 2.65 ft, based on 30 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.20 ft above typical. It is 10.15 ft below the flood stage of 13.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.26 ft, a difference of +0.59 ft.

It has dropped 0.18 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.40 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 08:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 1.85 ft and 3.93 ft.

Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 2.65 ft0.20 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 1.75 ft – 4.55 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (30 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.26 ft+0.59 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 1.85 ft – 3.93 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 1.85 ft – 8.41 ft
Highest on record: 27.60 ftSeptember 21, 1938
Forecast peak: 2.80 ftSunday, October 18 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Shetucket River near Willimantic

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

Flood stage here is 13.00 ft, 10.15 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Anyone living along the Shetucket River near Willimantic must take action to protect life and property. If asked to evacuate, do so immediately.
15.00 ft: Some roadways along the Shetucket River may become flooded. Never try to cross a flooded roadway, the road could be damaged or washed out. Know alternate routes for travel.
13.00 ft: Flooding of low lying areas is expected. Should flood waters approach your property, be ready to head for higher ground.
2.85 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	27.60 ft	September 21, 1938
2	18.35 ft	March 12, 1936
3	17.95 ft	March 19, 1936
4	17.36 ft	August 19, 1955
5	14.94 ft	November 29, 1937
6	14.72 ft	June 6, 1982
7	14.65 ft	July 24, 1938
8	13.55 ft	October 16, 2005
9	13.31 ft	January 26, 1938
10	12.71 ft	January 25, 1979

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.09 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 54° 32° – Wind 4 mph

19 Mon 58° 36° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 60° 46° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 54° 43° – Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 65° 41° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 58° 38° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 56° 34° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:05 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 52%

Map

Other gauges on the Shetucket River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Shetucket River at TaftvilleRiver gauge, Shetucket River	668 cfs	Normal	+102 cfs	11 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Natchaug River at WillimanticRiver gauge, Natchaug River	2.03 ft	Normal	+0.11 ft	1.5 mi
Willimantic River near CoventryRiver gauge, Willimantic River	2.98 ft	Normal	−0.19 ft	5.5 mi
Little River near HanoverRiver gauge, Little River	32.7 cfs	Normal	−19.9 cfs	7 mi
Natchaug River at Marcy Road near ChaplinRiver gauge, Natchaug River	52.1 cfs	Normal	−14.2 cfs	9 mi
Fenton River at MansfieldRiver gauge, Fenton River	15.4 cfs	Normal	−6.7 cfs	10 mi
Mount Hope River near WarrenvilleRiver gauge, Mount Hope River	1.49 ft	Normal	−0.10 ft	10 mi
Yantic River at YanticRiver gauge, Yantic River	2.25 ft	Normal	−0.18 ft	10 mi
Willimantic River at Merrow Road near MerrowRiver gauge, Willimantic River	53.3 cfs	Normal	−20.0 cfs	11 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Shetucket River near Willimantic higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.59 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.26 ft.

What is flood stage for the Shetucket River near Willimantic?

The official flood stage is 13.00 ft. The level is currently 10.15 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Shetucket River near Willimantic in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.65 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.75 ft and 4.55 ft, based on 30 years of records.

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 Shetucket River near Willimantic today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 04:30 PM EDT, the water level was 2.85 ft. Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Shetucket River near Willimantic rising or falling?

Down 0.18 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.65 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Shetucket River near Willimantic normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 30 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01122500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.70026, -72.18200 (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	2.85 ft	2026-10-18 20:30	Provisional
Flow	392 cfs	2026-10-18 20:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Shetucket River near Willimantic (usgs:01122500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/connecticut/shetucket-river-near-willimantic

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