Charles River at Dover water level

Name: Charles River at Dover 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, Charles River, Massachusetts, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.32ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 04:45 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 231 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.30 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 02:00 PM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 11:33 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Charles River at Dover, where the gauge shows 1.32 ft.

It is 3.68 ft below the flood stage of 5.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.30 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 02:00 PM. The 30-day range is 1.32 ft – 1.37 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 9.24 ftAugust 23, 1955
Forecast peak: 1.30 ftSaturday, October 17 at 02:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 5.00 ft.

What happens at each level

9.00 ft: Anyone with interests along the Charles River must act now to protect life and property. If you are asked to evacuate, do so immediately. Flooding will impact portions of Dover, Medway, South Natick and Wellesley. Some roadways may become flooded. Never try to cross a flooded roadway. The road could be washed out. Know your alternate routes of travel. Some roads will be closed due to flooding.
8.00 ft: Flooding will impact portions of Dover, Medfield, Millis, Medway, South Natick, Needham and Wellesley With Road closures and local evacuations possible.
7.00 ft: Flooding will close a portion of Mill Street in Dover. Flooding also affects low lying sections of Medway along Shaw Street and Charles River Road, as well as Route 109 at the Millis and Medfield town line. Flooding also is expected along Causeway Street in Medfield. Flooding affects homes along River Street in South Natick.
6.50 ft: Flooding affects homes along River Street in South Natick. Flood waters also affect part of Route 109 at the Medfield and Millis town line. Flooding will continue to increase in Needham along Fisher Street.
6.00 ft: Flooding will affect a few homes in Needham along Fisher Street, as well as a portion of Route 109 at the Medfield and Millis town line. Some flooding is also likely on the South Natick and Wellesley town line along River Street.
5.00 ft: People living along the Charles River should prepare for flooding of low lying areas along the river. Susceptible locations include low lying areas along Fisher Street in Needham and a small area on the South Natick and Wellesley line along River Street.
1.32 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	9.24 ft	August 23, 1955
2	9.10 ft	March 25, 1936
3	9.00 ft	June 27, 1938
4	8.72 ft	March 22, 1968
5	8.36 ft	January 28, 1979
6	8.05 ft	April 2, 2010
7	7.76 ft	March 18, 2010
8	7.36 ft	June 4, 1984
9	7.32 ft	June 9, 1982
10	6.97 ft	March 25, 2001

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 36° – Wind 15 mph

18 Sun 55° 32° – Wind 5 mph

19 Mon 56° 38° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 60° 47° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 51° 44° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 58° 44° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 56° 43° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:01 AM Sunset 06:02 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 44%

Map

Other gauges on the Charles River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Charles River at MedwayRiver gauge, Charles River	1.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Charles River at WellesleyRiver gauge, Charles River	203 cfs	High	−4.0 cfs	4.5 mi
Charles River at WalthamRiver gauge, Charles River	1.59 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	8 mi
Charles River at First St at CambridgeTidal gauge, Charles River	108.07 ft	High	−0.25 ft	12 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Trout Brook at DoverRiver gauge, Trout Brook	2.4 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	1.7 mi
Mother Brook at DedhamRiver gauge, Mother Brook	121 cfs	Very high	+5.0 cfs	4.9 mi
Neponset River at NorwoodRiver gauge, Neponset River	6.10 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	6 mi
Neponset River at Greenlodge St near CantonRiver gauge, Neponset River	115 cfs	Normal	−4.0 cfs	7 mi
Stony Brook Reservoir, Unnamed Tributary 1, near WestonRiver gauge, Stony Brook Reservoir, Unnamed Tributary 1,	0.6 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	7 mi
Stony Brook Reservoir at Dam near WalthamReservoir, Stony Brook Reservoir	1.8 cfs	Normal	±0	7 mi
Cochituate Brook below Lake Cochituate at FraminghamRiver gauge, Cochituate Brook	21.3 cfs	High	−3.1 cfs	8 mi
Stony Brook at RT 20 at WalthamRiver gauge, Stony Brook	12.5 cfs	Low	−1.5 cfs	8 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Charles River at Dover?

The official flood stage is 5.00 ft. The level is currently 3.68 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 Charles River at Dover today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 04:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.32 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Charles River at Dover rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Charles River at Dover normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Charles River at Dover?

The highest level on record is 9.24 ft on August 23, 1955.

Is Charles River at Dover expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.30 ft by Saturday, October 17 at 02:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01103500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.25621, -71.26006 (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	1.32 ft	2026-10-17 20:45	Provisional
Flow	231 cfs	2026-10-17 20:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Charles River at Dover (usgs:01103500). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/massachusetts/charles-river-at-dover

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