Summary
Total streamflow across the
Kennebec River
was last observed at
7,019
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
13,922
acre-ft of water today; about 48%
of normal.
River levels are low and may signify a drought.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
14,521 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2023-12-20 when daily discharge volume was observed at
195,000 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Kennebec River At North Sidney
reporting a streamflow rate of 3,570 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Kennebec River At Bingham
with a gauge stage of 7.66 ft.
This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Kennebec River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 581 ft, the
Kennebec River At The Forks.
River Details
| Last Updated | 2025-12-04 |
| Discharge Volume | 13,922 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
7,019.0 cfs
-991.0 cfs (-12.37%) |
| Percent of Normal | 48.34% |
| Maximum |
195,000.0 cfs
2023-12-20 |
| Seasonal Avg | 14,521 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kennebec River At The Forks
USGS 01042500 |
999 cfs | 2.52 ft | -4.86 | |||||
|
Kennebec River At Bingham
USGS 01046500 |
2450 cfs | 7.66 ft | -16.67 | |||||
|
Kennebec River At North Sidney
USGS 01049265 |
3570 cfs | 6.23 ft | -11.19 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Kennebec River is a 170-mile-long (270 km) river within the U.S. state of Maine.
It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward from Harris Station Dam, the largest hydroelectric dam in the state. It is joined at The Forks by the Dead River, also called the West Branch, then continues south past the cities of Madison, Skowhegan, Waterville, and the state capital Augusta. At Richmond, it flows into Merrymeeting Bay, a 16-mile-long (26 km) freshwater tidal bay into which also flow the Androscoggin River and five smaller rivers. The Kennebec then runs past the shipbuilding center of Bath, then to the Gulf of Maine in the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the open, rapidless waters of the Southern Kennebec, Ocean tides and saltwater fish species such as the endangered Atlantic Sturgeon often affect the river's ecology as far north as Waterville, a small city located over 35 miles inland. Tributaries of the Kennebec include the Carrabassett River, Sandy River, and Sebasticook River.
Segments of the East Coast Greenway run along the Kennebec.
Kennebec Gorge