Mill River at Northampton water level

Name: Mill River at Northampton 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, Mill River, Massachusetts, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

6.05ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT (41 min ago)

Flow: 52.7 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Mill River at Northampton reads 6.05 ft, a normal level.

It is 4.95 ft below the flood stage of 11.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.77 ft and 6.22 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: 16.42 ftAugust 28, 2011

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 11.00 ft, still 4.95 ft away.

What happens at each level

15.00 ft: Backwater flooding into feeder streams results in multiple road closures in the Florence section of Northampton. In addition, Meadow Street in Northampton is flooded. Floodwaters inundate Maines Field, and floodwaters affect lowest lying homes in Leeds Center as well as lowest lying industries above the Pine Street Dam in Florence. Farm roads in the Oxbow floodplain are closed, as well as the Smith College River Walk Path.
14.00 ft: Floodwaters inundate Maines Field and result in the closure of Meadow Street. Floodwaters encroach on low lying homes in Leeds Center as well as lowest lying industries along the mill above the Pine Street Dam in Florence. Farm roads in the Oxbow floodplain are inundated as well as portions of the Smith College River Walk Path.
13.00 ft: River flooding result in the closure of Meadow Street. Floodwaters encroach on lowest lying homes in Leeds Center and lowest lying industries above the Pine Street Dam in Florence. Farm roads in the Oxbow floodplain near the Mill River are inundated and the Smith College River Walk Path is closed.
12.00 ft: The Smith College River Walk Path is flooded. Farm roads in the Oxbow floodplain near the Mill River in Northampton are inundated.
11.00 ft: Flooding occurs along the Smith College River Walk Path in Northampton.
6.05 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	16.42 ft	August 28, 2011
2	15.58 ft	April 16, 2007
3	14.37 ft	December 18, 2023
4	13.72 ft	October 9, 2005
5	13.47 ft	February 25, 2016
6	12.83 ft	April 12, 2024
7	12.80 ft	October 30, 2017
8	12.73 ft	April 3, 2005
9	12.39 ft	December 25, 2020
10	12.32 ft	September 30, 2015

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.04 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 57° 37° – Wind 14 mph

18 Sun 56° 33° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 60° 34° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 65° 42° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 56° 38° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 60° 38° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 59° 41° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

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

Map

Other gauges on the Mill River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Mill River at Spring Street at TauntonTidal gauge, Mill River	4.21 ft	Below flood stage	−0.09 ft	86 mi
Mill River near HamdenRiver gauge, Mill River	1.52 ft	High	−0.07 ft	63 mi
Mill River near FairfieldRiver gauge, Mill River	13.2 cfs	Normal	−4.9 cfs	86 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Fort River near AmherstRiver gauge, Fort River	23.5 cfs	Normal	+3.6 cfs	9 mi
Avery Brook near WhatelyRiver gauge, Avery Brook	5.6 cfs	Very high	−1.5 cfs	9 mi
Connecticut River at I-391 Bridge at HolyokeRiver gauge, Connecticut River	6.43 ft	Below flood stage	+0.15 ft	9 mi
Westfield River at KnightvilleRiver gauge, Westfield River	329 cfs	High	+89.0 cfs	10 mi
West Branch Westfield River at HuntingtonRiver gauge, West Branch Westfield River	3.88 ft	Below flood stage	+0.41 ft	13 mi
Chicopee River at Indian OrchardRiver gauge, Chicopee River	4.75 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	13 mi
Westfield River near WestfieldRiver gauge, Westfield River	4.56 ft	Below flood stage	+0.76 ft	15 mi
Deerfield River near West DeerfieldRiver gauge, Deerfield River	3.02 ft	Below flood stage	+0.27 ft	15 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Mill River at Northampton?

The official flood stage is 11.00 ft. The level is currently 4.95 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 Mill River at Northampton today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT, the water level was 6.05 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Mill River at Northampton rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Mill River at Northampton normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Mill River at Northampton?

The highest level on record is 16.42 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:01171500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.31898, -72.66509 (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	6.05 ft	2026-10-17 22:00	Provisional
Flow	52.7 cfs	2026-10-17 22:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Mill River at Northampton (usgs:01171500). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/massachusetts/mill-river-at-northampton

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