Kennebec River river
Total streamflow across the Kennebec River was last observed at 11,390 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 22,592 acre-ft of water today; about 55% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 20,606 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 4,280 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Kennebec River At Bingham with a gauge stage of 8.12 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 streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Kennebec River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Kennebec 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kennebec River At The Forks
ME
USGS 01042500
|
3,220 | 3.97 | 215.7 | 253% | 372 | 20,500 | 581 |
|
Kennebec River At Bingham
ME
USGS 01046500
|
3,890 | 8.12 | -6.7 | 85% | 805 | 56,700 | 335 |
|
Kennebec River At North Sidney
ME
USGS 01049265
|
4,280 | 6.50 | -18.8 | 53% | 1,040 | 139,000 | 20 |
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
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
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a 170-mile-long river in Maine, flowing from Moosehead Lake to the Atlantic Ocean. It was historically significant for its role in the logging industry and the development of hydroelectric power. The river is home to several reservoirs, including the Wyman Dam and the Indian Pond Dam, that are used for hydroelectric power generation. The most significant dam on the river is the 1,275-foot-long Edwards Dam, which was removed in 1999 to restore the river's natural ecology. The Kennebec River is also popular for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and whitewater rafting. It is a major source of water for agriculture in the region, providing irrigation for crops such as potatoes, corn, and blueberries.
Recreation along the Kennebec River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Kennebec 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.
About the Kennebec River
Where does the data for the Kennebec 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.