River Report

Contoocook River river

3 streamgauges 65% of normal Last updated 2026-05-25
Aggregate flow
853cfs
% of normal
65%
Daily volume
1,692AF
Seasonal avg
1,305cfs

Total streamflow across the Contoocook River was last observed at 853 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 1,692 acre-ft of water today; about 65% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 1,305 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2023-07-11 when daily discharge volume was observed at 11,185 cfs.

Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Contoocook River Near Henniker reporting a streamflow rate of 752 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Contoocook River, with a gauge stage of 6.86 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Contoocook River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 751 ft, the Contoocook River At Peterborough.

Max discharge

Contoocook River Near Henniker

752cfs
Highest stage

Contoocook River Near Henniker

6.86ft
Highest-elevation gauge

Contoocook River At Peterborough

751ft
Aggregate trend

River streamflow levels

Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Contoocook River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.

Total streamflow

Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily

Per-gauge breakdown

Every streamgauge along the Contoocook River

All 3 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.

Streamgauge Streamflow (cfs) Gauge stage (ft) 24h Δ (%) % Normal Min (cfs) Max (cfs) Elevation (ft)
Contoocook River At Peterborough NH
USGS 01082000
127 2.02 27.0 92% 2 3,980 751
Contoocook River Near Henniker NH
USGS 01085000
752 6.86 1.7 105% 22 6,780 492
Contoocook R Bl Hopkinton Dam At W Hopkinton NH
USGS 01085500
613 2.58 -15.3 71% 20 5,170 361
Annual peaks

Maximum streamflow discharge by year

The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.

Annual peak discharge

From the river's full record · one point per water year

Profile

Streamflow elevation profile

Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.

Elevation vs streamflow

One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage

About this river

Contoocook River

The Contoocook River is a 71-mile-long river in New Hampshire, United States. The river flows from its source at the confluence of the Pemigewasset River and Winnipesaukee River in Franklin to its mouth at the Merrimack River in Penacook. The river is an important source of hydroelectric power, with several dams and reservoirs along its length. The largest of these is the Contoocook Hydro project, which includes three dams and three reservoirs. The river also supports a variety of recreational activities, including fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. The Contoocook River is also an important source of water for agriculture and industry in the region. The river has a rich history, with evidence of Native American settlements dating back over 10,000 years.

Track the Contoocook River in the Snoflo app

Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.

FAQ

About the Contoocook River

Where does the data for the Contoocook River come from?

Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.

How is "percent of normal" calculated?

Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).

Why are some gauges showing very different flows?

Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.

What's the elevation profile chart showing?

Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.

Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?

Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.