EARTH · RIVERS & FLOODS · UNITED STATES
Merrimack River Level & Flow
The latest reading on the Merrimack River at Lowell, MA — from the USGS streamgage, reporting gage height (feet) and streamflow (cubic feet per second). A New England river that powered the mill cities of the industrial revolution before reaching the Gulf of Maine.The figure below is live, shown with the time it was taken, and framed as a measurement of flow — never a flood verdict.
What this reading means
Gage height is how high the water stands at the gage, in feet; streamflow is how much water is moving past, in cubic feet per second. Both rise and fall with rain, snowmelt and upstream dams. A high number here means the Merrimack River is running full — but whether that is flooding depends on this river’s own banks and its official flood stage, which this page does not assert. It shows the measurement and its context, not a safe/unsafe verdict.
About this reading
This reading comes from a US Geological Survey streamgage on the Merrimack River at Lowell, MA. USGS gages report instantaneous values every 15–60 minutes; the newest figure above is the most recent the gage has transmitted. US federal data, public domain.
Nearby rivers
The closest rivers to the Merrimack River— compare how much water each is moving.