Stony Brook at Princeton NJ water level

Name: Stony Brook at Princeton 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, Stony Brook, New Jersey, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.75ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 07:30 AM EDT (32 min ago)

Flow: 20.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

Stony Brook at Princeton NJ is at 1.75 ft, in the normal range.

It is 7.25 ft below the flood stage of 9.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.75 ft and 1.94 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: 16.23 ftAugust 28, 2011

Floating and fishing near Stony Brook at Princeton NJ

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

Flood stage here is 9.00 ft, 7.25 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

16.00 ft: Significant flooding occurs along the brook. Several feet of water cover the Hun athletic fields. Route 206 is closed. Flooding along the brook can worsen if the Delaware and Raritan Canal is also running high.
13.00 ft: The Hun School athletic fields flood. Flooding along the brook can worsen if the Delaware and Raritan Canal is also running high.
11.00 ft: Mercer Street, between Province Line Road and the Stony Brook Bridge, is subject to closure due to flooding.
9.00 ft: Quaker Road floods and it subject to closure. Mercer Street begins to flood.
8.00 ft: Adjacent floodplain begins to flood including the Stony Brook walking trail.
1.75 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.23 ft	August 28, 2011
2	14.26 ft	August 28, 1971
3	14.02 ft	September 16, 1999
4	12.48 ft	August 22, 2021
5	12.27 ft	January 19, 1996
6	12.18 ft	May 1, 2014
7	11.90 ft	August 13, 1955
8	11.83 ft	May 27, 2018
9	11.48 ft	January 28, 1994
10	11.32 ft	July 7, 1984

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 66° 44° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 59° 43° – Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 65° 41° – Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 59° 42° – Wind 11 mph

24 Sat 60° 39° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 63° 40° – Wind 9 mph

26 Mon 67° 45° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:15 AM Sunset 06:13 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on Stony Brook

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Stony Brook near West SuffieldRiver gauge, Stony Brook	4.2 cfs	Normal	−0.7 cfs	152 mi
Stony Brook at Watchung NJRiver gauge, Stony Brook	9.58 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	24 mi
Stony Brook at North Plainfield NJRiver gauge, Stony Brook	1.86 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	24 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Delaware and Raritan Canal at Port Mercer NJCanal gauge, Delaware and Raritan Canal	106 cfs	Low	±0	2.0 mi
Assunpink Creek near Clarksville NJRiver gauge, Assunpink Creek	4.06 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	4.4 mi
Assunpink Creek below STP near Mercerville NJRiver gauge, Assunpink Creek	2.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	6 mi
Shabakunk C at Sylva Lake Dam at Ewingville NJRiver gauge, Shabakunk C	1.4 cfs	Normal	±0	6 mi
Millstone River at Griggstown NJRiver gauge, Millstone River	3.86 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	8 mi
Assunpink Creek at Trenton NJRiver gauge, Assunpink Creek	3.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	8 mi
Delaware River at Trenton NJRiver gauge, Delaware River	9.05 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	9 mi
Pike Run at Belle Mead NJRiver gauge, Pike Run	1.6 cfs	Normal	±0	9 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for Stony Brook at Princeton NJ?

The official flood stage is 9.00 ft. The level is currently 7.25 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 Stony Brook at Princeton NJ today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 07:30 AM EDT, the water level was 1.75 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Stony Brook at Princeton NJ rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Stony Brook at Princeton NJ normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Stony Brook at Princeton NJ?

The highest level on record is 16.23 ft on August 28, 2011.

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:01401000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.33306, -74.68194 (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	1.75 ft	2026-10-20 11:30	Provisional
Flow	20.7 cfs	2026-10-20 11:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Stony Brook at Princeton NJ (usgs:01401000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-jersey/stony-brook-at-princeton-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