Charles River at Waltham water level

Name: Charles River at Waltham 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

1.59ft Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 05:30 PM EDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 193 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The Charles River at Waltham is at 1.59 ft, in the normal range.

It is 3.41 ft below the flood stage of 5.00 ft.

It has dropped 0.06 ft over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 1.55 ft and 1.66 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: 7.56 ftMarch 16, 2010

Floating and fishing near Charles River at Waltham

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

Flood stage here is 5.00 ft, 3.41 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	7.56 ft	March 16, 2010
2	6.54 ft	February 3, 1976
3	6.48 ft	January 25, 1979
4	6.46 ft	March 31, 2010
5	6.05 ft	October 21, 1996
6	5.51 ft	April 7, 1987
7	5.51 ft	June 14, 1998
8	5.44 ft	June 7, 1982
9	5.42 ft	March 23, 2001
10	5.35 ft	August 19, 1955

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.07 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 61° 36° – Wind 16 mph

18 Sun 56° 32° – Wind 5 mph

19 Mon 57° 42° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 61° 48° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 52° 45° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 60° 45° – Wind 10 mph

23 Fri 58° 44° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:01 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min First quarter 44%

Map

Other gauges on the Charles River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Charles River at MedwayRiver gauge, Charles River	1.25 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Charles River at DoverRiver gauge, Charles River	1.31 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	8 mi
Charles River at WellesleyRiver gauge, Charles River	203 cfs	High	−4.0 cfs	3.9 mi
Charles River at First St at CambridgeTidal gauge, Charles River	108.07 ft	High	−0.25 ft	8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Stony Brook, Unnamed Tributary 1, near WalthamRiver gauge, Stony Brook, Unnamed Tributary 1,	0.5 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	1.9 mi
Stony Brook at RT 20 at WalthamRiver gauge, Stony Brook	12.3 cfs	Low	−1.7 cfs	1.9 mi
Stony Brook Reservoir at Dam near WalthamReservoir, Stony Brook Reservoir	1.8 cfs	Normal	±0	2.0 mi
Stony Brook Reservoir, Unnamed Tributary 1, near WestonRiver gauge, Stony Brook Reservoir, Unnamed Tributary 1,	0.6 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	2.1 mi
Hobbs Brook below Cambridge Reservoir near Kendall GreenReservoir, Hobbs Brook	5.2 cfs	Normal	−1.8 cfs	2.7 mi
Stony Brook at Viles Street, near WestonRiver gauge, Stony Brook	2.9 cfs	Normal	−0.5 cfs	3.0 mi
Cambridge Reservoir, Unnamed Tributary 3, near LexingtonRiver gauge, Cambridge Reservoir, Unnamed Tributary 3,	0.7 cfs	Normal	+0.2 cfs	3.5 mi
Cambridge Reservoir, Unnamed Tributary 2, near LexingtonRiver gauge, Cambridge Reservoir, Unnamed Tributary 2,	0.1 cfs	Low	±0	4.6 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Charles River at Waltham?

The official flood stage is 5.00 ft. The level is currently 3.41 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 Waltham today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 05:30 PM EDT, the water level was 1.59 ft. Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Charles River at Waltham rising or falling?

Down 0.06 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Charles River at Waltham 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 Waltham?

The highest level on record is 7.56 ft on March 16, 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:01104500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 42.37232, -71.23367 (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	1.59 ft	2026-10-17 21:30	Provisional
Flow	193 cfs	2026-10-17 21:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Charles River at Waltham (usgs:01104500). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/massachusetts/charles-river-at-waltham

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