Swift River at West Ware water level

Name: Swift River at West Ware 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, Swift River, Massachusetts, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

2.88ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT (39 min ago)

Flow: 126 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

High water at Swift River at West Ware: the latest reading is 2.88 ft, above normal for mid-October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 2.87 ft – 2.89 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 15.00 ftMarch 19, 1936

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	15.00 ft	March 19, 1936
2	13.74 ft	September 22, 1938
3	11.58 ft	June 1, 1984
4	9.10 ft	February 26, 1915
5	9.08 ft	April 7, 1923
6	9.07 ft	July 18, 1933
7	8.95 ft	March 28, 1920
8	8.80 ft	May 2, 1921
9	8.60 ft	November 6, 1927
10	8.45 ft	April 3, 1916

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.19 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 54° 33° – Wind 4 mph

19 Mon 58° 37° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 62° 44° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 56° 38° – Wind 12 mph

22 Thu 62° 36° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 59° 38° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 53° 32° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:06 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min First quarter 51%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Ware River at Gibbs CrossingRiver gauge, Ware River	2.44 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	3.8 mi
Quaboag River at West BrimfieldRiver gauge, Quaboag River	3.11 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	7 mi
East Branch Swift River near HardwickRiver gauge, East Branch Swift River	16.2 cfs	Normal	−3.5 cfs	10 mi
Fort River near AmherstRiver gauge, Fort River	19.2 cfs	Normal	−5.0 cfs	11 mi
Chicopee River at Indian OrchardRiver gauge, Chicopee River	4.74 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	12 mi
West Branch Swift River near ShutesburyRiver gauge, West Branch Swift River	11.1 cfs	Normal	−7.0 cfs	13 mi
Connecticut River at I-391 Bridge at HolyokeRiver gauge, Connecticut River	6.76 ft	Below flood stage	+0.74 ft	15 mi
Quinebaug River below E Brimfield Dam at FiskdaleRiver gauge, Quinebaug River	80.7 cfs	Normal	−4.2 cfs	15 mi

Questions and answers

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 Swift River at West Ware today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT, the water level was 2.88 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Swift River at West Ware rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Swift River at West Ware normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Swift River at West Ware?

The highest level on record is 15.00 ft on March 19, 1936.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:01175500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.26787, -72.33258 (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	2.88 ft	2026-10-18 16:15	Provisional
Flow	126 cfs	2026-10-18 16:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Swift River at West Ware (usgs:01175500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/massachusetts/swift-river-at-west-ware

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