North Nashua River river
Total streamflow across the North Nashua River was last observed at 161 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 319 acre-ft of water today; about 64% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 251 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2017-10-30 when daily discharge volume was observed at 7,260 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the North Nashua River Near Leominster reporting a streamflow rate of 95.4 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the North Nashua River At Fitchburg with a gauge stage of 2.68 ft. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the North Nashua River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 399 ft, the North Nashua River At Fitchburg.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the North Nashua River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the North Nashua River
All 2 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
North Nashua River At Fitchburg
MA
USGS 01094400
|
65 | 2.68 | -13.3 | 64% | 4 | 3,930 | 399 |
|
North Nashua River Near Leominster
MA
USGS 01094500
|
95 | 2.42 | -16.3 | 53% | 15 | 16,300 | 274 |
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
North Nashua River
The North Nashua River is a 33-mile-long tributary of the Nashua River in Massachusetts. It begins in Ashburnham and flows through Ashby, Fitchburg, Leominster, and Lancaster before joining the Nashua River in Lancaster. The river has a long history of industrial use, particularly in the textile industry. The hydrology of the river has been affected by damming and water diversion for industry and agriculture. The river is home to several reservoirs, including the Fitchburg Reservoir and the Lancaster Reservoir, which provide drinking water to surrounding communities. Recreational activities on the river include fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. Agriculture along the river includes dairy farms and apple orchards. The river has been subject to pollution and efforts are being made to improve water quality through conservation and restoration efforts.
Recreation along the North Nashua River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the North Nashua 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 North Nashua River
Where does the data for the North Nashua 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.