Charles River at Medway water level

Name: Charles River at Medway 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

1.16ft Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 01:45 PM EDT (33 min ago)

Flow: 50.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Charles River at Medway is at 1.16 ft, in the normal range.

It is 3.84 ft below the flood stage of 5.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.10 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.16 ft and 1.30 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: 7.21 ftMarch 31, 2010

Floating and fishing near Charles River at Medway

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

Flood stage here is 5.00 ft, 3.84 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	7.21 ft	March 31, 2010
2	7.02 ft	October 16, 2005
3	6.62 ft	March 16, 2010
4	6.35 ft	December 19, 2023
5	6.35 ft	March 23, 2001
6	5.57 ft	December 13, 2008
7	5.47 ft	June 8, 2006
8	5.41 ft	February 26, 2010
9	5.39 ft	January 13, 2018
10	5.39 ft	January 11, 2024

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.06 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 53° 32° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 55° 36° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 60° 46° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 51° 45° – Wind 15 mph

22 Thu 62° 41° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 57° 40° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 55° 34° – Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:02 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 51%

Map

Other gauges on the Charles River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Charles River at DoverRiver gauge, Charles River	1.27 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	10 mi
Charles River at WellesleyRiver gauge, Charles River	195 cfs	Normal	−8.0 cfs	15 mi
Charles River at WalthamRiver gauge, Charles River	1.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	18 mi
Charles River at First St at CambridgeTidal gauge, Charles River	107.93 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	22 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Kingsbury Pond near NorfolkLake, Kingsbury Pond	126.30 ft	Very low	−0.10 ft	1.5 mi
Sudbury River at AshlandRiver gauge, Sudbury River	33.7 cfs	Normal	−6.2 cfs	9 mi
Trout Brook at DoverRiver gauge, Trout Brook	2.1 cfs	Normal	−0.6 cfs	9 mi
Neponset River at NorwoodRiver gauge, Neponset River	6.03 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	10 mi
Blackstone River at WoonsocketRiver gauge, Blackstone River	2.10 ft	Below flood stage	−0.12 ft	11 mi
Cochituate Brook below Lake Cochituate at FraminghamRiver gauge, Cochituate Brook	18.7 cfs	Normal	−3.8 cfs	12 mi
East Branch Neponset River at CantonRiver gauge, East Branch Neponset River	33.1 cfs	Normal	−3.6 cfs	13 mi
Sudbury River at SaxonvilleRiver gauge, Sudbury River	4.92 ft	Below flood stage	−0.20 ft	13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Charles River at Medway?

The official flood stage is 5.00 ft. The level is currently 3.84 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 Medway today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 01:45 PM EDT, the water level was 1.16 ft. Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Charles River at Medway rising or falling?

Down 0.10 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Charles River at Medway 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 Medway?

The highest level on record is 7.21 ft on March 31, 2010.

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:01103280 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.13982, -71.38950 (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	1.16 ft	2026-10-18 17:45	Provisional
Flow	50.6 cfs	2026-10-18 17:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Charles River at Medway (usgs:01103280). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/massachusetts/charles-river-at-medway

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