Aroostook River at Washburn, Maine water level

Name: Aroostook River at Washburn, Maine 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, Aroostook River, Maine, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.36ft Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT (25 min ago)

Flow: 417 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 10:40 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Aroostook River at Washburn, Maine is at 1.36 ft, in the normal range.

It is 12.64 ft below the flood stage of 14.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 ft by Thursday, October 22 at 02:00 AM. In the last month it has stayed between 1.26 ft and 1.44 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 21.14 ftApril 18, 2015
Forecast peak: 1.30 ftMonday, October 19 at 02:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Aroostook River at Washburn, Maine

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

Flood stage here is 14.00 ft, 12.64 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

21.50 ft: Historic flooding. Catastrophic damage to homes and camps between Castle Hill and Presque Isle. Castle Hill Road bridge inundated by floodwaters. Significant road closures and infastructure integrity threatened.
20.00 ft: Widespread flooding of Gardner Creek Road, South Wade Road, Parsons Road and State Route 164. Numerous homes and camps inundated from Wade and Washburn downstream to Presque Isle. Flooding similar to December 1973.
19.50 ft: Water reaches the bottom of the Castle Hill Road bridge. Similar flooding to the flood of April 20th, 2019. Gardner Creek Road is impassable in several locations with several homes & camps along the river inundated. Backwater flooding of Clayton Brook floods Parsons Road. Route 164 is closed due to backwater flooding on numerous creeks and streams between Adaline to Crouseville and downstream to Presque Isle.
17.00 ft: Several structures inundated on Gardner Creek Road. Gardner Creek Road is impassable at Gardner Brook due to backwater. Backwater in Salmon Brook will cause minor flooding of Gardner Creek Road in Washburn.
15.00 ft: Minor flooding on Gardner Creek Road in Washburn and Wade. Numerous river side camps and properties threatened between Castle Hill and Wade. Minor flooding in Crouseville along Route 164 near Rum Rapids. Dangerous swiftwater flows through Washburn. Backwater in Salmon Brook may begin to flood Gardner Creek Road in Washburn.
14.00 ft: Minor flooding along State Route 164 and Parsons Road mainly impacting agricultural fields. Backwater issues will cause Clayton Brook to threaten Parsons Road. Backwater will also cause streams near Langille Road and State Route 164 to threaten properties. Low lying properties along Gardner Creek Road will begin to flood. Camps along the river banks in Wade and Castle Hill begin to be threatened.
12.50 ft: River approaches bankfull with increasingly dangerous flows.
1.36 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	21.14 ft	April 18, 2015
2	20.91 ft	December 24, 1973
3	19.66 ft	April 20, 2019
4	17.80 ft	April 8, 1990
5	17.47 ft	April 12, 1991
6	16.43 ft	April 7, 2009
7	16.43 ft	April 7, 2009
8	15.78 ft	April 6, 1950
9	15.67 ft	April 22, 1982
10	15.27 ft	April 16, 1994

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.57 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

19 Mon 63° 33° – Wind 13 mph

20 Tue 49° 33° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 50° 32° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 53° 34° – Wind 17 mph

23 Fri 44° 28° – Wind 16 mph

24 Sat 52° 27° – Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 60° 36° – Wind 10 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:56 AM Sunset 05:40 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Aroostook River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Aroostook River near Masardis, MaineRiver gauge, Aroostook River	2.73 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	20 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Hardwood Brook below Glidden Brk near Caribou, MaineRiver gauge, Hardwood Brook	1.9 cfs	Low	−0.8 cfs	8 mi
Little Madawaska River at Caribou, MaineRiver gauge, Little Madawaska River	3.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.17 ft	13 mi
Williams Brook at Phair, MaineRiver gauge, Williams Brook	1.34 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	14 mi
Aroostook River near TinkerRiver gauge, Aroostook River	3.08 m	Low	±0	31 km
Saint John River at Grand FallsRiver gauge, Saint John River	89.62 m	Normal	+0.44 m	43 km
Big Presque Isle Stream at Tracey MillsRiver gauge, Big Presque Isle Stream	0.25 m	Low	−0.01 m	49 km
Grande Riviere at Violette BridgeRiver gauge, Grande Riviere	0.39 m	Normal	−0.09 m	55 km
Fish River near Fort Kent, MaineRiver gauge, Fish River	3.00 ft	Below flood stage	±0	38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Aroostook River at Washburn, Maine?

The official flood stage is 14.00 ft. The level is currently 12.64 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 Aroostook River at Washburn, Maine today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT, the water level was 1.36 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Aroostook River at Washburn, Maine rising or falling?

Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Aroostook River at Washburn, Maine normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Aroostook River at Washburn, Maine?

The highest level on record is 21.14 ft on April 18, 2015.

Is Aroostook River at Washburn, Maine expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.20 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:01017000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.77722, -68.15722 (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	1.36 ft	2026-10-19 22:00	Provisional
Flow	417 cfs	2026-10-19 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Aroostook River at Washburn, Maine (usgs:01017000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/maine/aroostook-river-at-washburn-maine

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