TornadoLiveMap

Smith River (NH) at Bristol — water level right now

Merrimack County, New Hampshire · NWS gauge BRSN3
Loading the latest reading…
–
current stage (ft)
 
8
minor flood stage
 
16.09
record crest
set 1936-03-19
–
flood status
official NWS category
Official NOAA forecast → USGS data → Full US flood map →

Flood stages at this gauge

Where the water stands right now against the four official thresholds:

action · 6
minor · 8
moderate · 12
major · 14
Flood stageLevel (ft)What it means
Major flood stage14extensive inundation and significant evacuations — a serious event
Moderate flood stage12some buildings and roads inundated; evacuations possible
Minor flood stage8low-lying roads and fields near the river start to flood
Action stage6water is approaching flood level — time to pay attention

Highest floods on record here

#Crest (ft)Datevs. minor flood stage
116.091936-03-19+8.09 above
211.412006-05-14+3.41 above
310.771938-09-22+2.77 above
410.441953-03-27+2.44 above
510.371934-04-12+2.37 above
610.211987-04-01+2.21 above
79.271973-06-30+1.27 above
88.991996-10-21+0.99 above
98.911951-04-03+0.91 above
108.652007-04-17+0.65 above
118.541990-08-08+0.54 above
128.411984-05-31+0.41 above

Historic crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service — the 12 highest on file.

Where this gauge is

The marker is this gauge; nearby gauges load live and are clickable.

Nearby river gauges

Cockermouth River at Groton 10 mi away · loading… Merrimack River at Franklin Jct. 11 mi away · loading… Winnipesaukee River at Tilton 12 mi away · loading… Pemigewasset River at Plymouth 14 mi away · loading… Baker River at Rumney 17 mi away · loading… Warner River at Davisville 22 mi away · loading…

Gauge details

NWS gauge IDBRSN3
USGS site01078000
CountyMerrimack
StateNew Hampshire
NWS forecast officeGray
River forecast centerNortheast River Forecast Center
Coordinates43.567, -71.748
Time zoneEST5EDT
Turn Around, Don't Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet and twelve inches can float a car. Never drive around barricades or into water of unknown depth — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

Questions about Smith River (NH) at Bristol

Is Smith River (NH) at Bristol flooding right now?

The live reading at the top of this page answers that: the gauge is compared against its official NWS flood stages every 15 minutes. Minor flooding at this gauge begins at 8 ft. Blue means normal, yellow is action stage, orange minor, red moderate and dark red major flooding.

What is flood stage for Smith River (NH) at Bristol?

major flood stage 14 ft, moderate flood stage 12 ft, minor flood stage 8 ft, action stage 6 ft. These are official National Weather Service thresholds set specifically for this gauge, not generic values.

What is the record flood at Smith River (NH) at Bristol?

The highest crest on file at this gauge is 16.09 ft, reached on 1936-03-19 — that is 8.09 ft above minor flood stage. The full list of the highest crests is in the table on this page.

Where does this data come from?

From the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, the official U.S. river gauge network — a U.S. government work in the public domain. Live stage is refreshed every 15 minutes; flood thresholds and historic crests are refreshed monthly. For life-safety decisions follow NWS Gray and local emergency management.