Lackawaxen River at Hawley water level

Name: Lackawaxen River at Hawley 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, Lackawaxen River, Pennsylvania, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

2.35ft Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM EDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 253 cfs
Water temperature: 54 °F

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:22 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Lackawaxen River at Hawley is at 2.35 ft, in the normal range.

It is 11.65 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.17 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 2.22 ft and 2.84 ft.

The water temperature at the gauge is 54 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 24.80 ftAugust 19, 1955
Forecast peak: 2.40 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Lackawaxen River at Hawley

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

Flood stage here is 14.00 ft, 11.65 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

24.80 ft: Flood of Record. Hurricanes Connie and Diane, August 1955. Record stage was prior to levee protection.
23.00 ft: Hawley levees overtop at this stage. Severe inundation takes place in the Borough extending to River St., Wayne Ave., and John Street on the west end of Paupack and Pike Streets.
22.00 ft: Bingham Park floods affecting the Senior Center on Park Place. Areas between Old Gravity Road and Route 6 flood. The Borough of Hawley is protected by levees to 23 feet.
20.00 ft: Flooding affects portions of Stourbridge RR line, Field Bend Road and Gelderman Road downstream of Hawley. The Borough of Hawley is protected by levees to 23 feet.
17.00 ft: Yards of properties along Sellers Village and Hudson Street may be affected.
14.00 ft: There is extensive flooding along the river floodplain channel. Little to no infrastructure is impacted. The Borough of Hawley is protected by levees to 23 feet.
11.00 ft: Water overtops the right bank of the river above and below the Church Street bridge. Flooding is contained within the floodplain with no impacts.
2.35 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	24.80 ft	August 19, 1955
2	19.10 ft	March 18, 1936
3	18.19 ft	June 28, 2006
4	15.25 ft	April 3, 2005
5	14.49 ft	September 18, 2004
6	14.31 ft	September 2, 2021
7	13.00 ft	June 29, 1973
8	12.60 ft	March 28, 1914
9	12.01 ft	May 29, 1984
10	11.78 ft	July 10, 1952

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.54 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 55° 32° – Wind 4 mph

19 Mon 62° 35° – Wind 6 mph

20 Tue 64° 39° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 60° 34° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 60° 35° – Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 58° 36° – Wind 7 mph

24 Sat 55° 31° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:15 PM Daylight 10 hr, 57 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the Lackawaxen River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lackawaxen River near HonesdaleRiver gauge, Lackawaxen River	1.68 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	7 mi
Lackawaxen River near BaobaRiver gauge, Lackawaxen River	288 cfs	Normal	−61.0 cfs	3.3 mi
Lackawaxen River at RowlandRiver gauge, Lackawaxen River	402 cfs	Normal	−70.0 cfs	7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Delaware River above Lackawaxen River near BarryvilleRiver gauge, Delaware River	3.35 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	10 mi
Tenmile River at TustenRiver gauge, Tenmile River	26.7 cfs	Normal	−9.6 cfs	10 mi
Dyberry Creek near HonesdaleRiver gauge, Dyberry Creek	2.08 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	10 mi
West Branch Lackawaxen River at PromptonRiver gauge, West Branch Lackawaxen River	74.9 cfs	Normal	−13.0 cfs	11 mi
Prompton Reservoir at PromptonReservoir, Prompton Reservoir	1,125.22 ft	High	−0.11 ft	11 mi
Shohola Creek near Walker LakeRiver gauge, Shohola Creek	41.7 cfs	Normal	−0.9 cfs	13 mi
Delaware River at BarryvilleRiver gauge, Delaware River	1,900 cfs	Normal	−440.0 cfs	13 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Lackawaxen River at Hawley?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 11.65 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 Lackawaxen River at Hawley today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 03:00 PM EDT, the water level was 2.35 ft. Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lackawaxen River at Hawley rising or falling?

Down 0.17 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Lackawaxen River at Hawley normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lackawaxen River at Hawley?

The highest level on record is 24.80 ft on August 19, 1955.

Is Lackawaxen River at Hawley expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 2.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01431500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.47620, -75.17212 (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	2.35 ft	2026-10-19 19:00	Provisional
Flow	253 cfs	2026-10-19 19:00	Provisional
Water temperature	54 °F	2026-10-19 19:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lackawaxen River at Hawley (usgs:01431500). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/pennsylvania/lackawaxen-river-at-hawley

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