Shawsheen River river
Total streamflow across the Shawsheen River was last observed at 137 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 271 acre-ft of water today; about 151% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 91 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2024-01-11 when daily discharge volume was observed at 859 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Shawsheen River Near Wilmington reporting a streamflow rate of 20.2 cfs. This is also the highest stage along the Shawsheen River, with a gauge stage of 2.36 ft at this location. This river is monitored from 2 different streamgauging stations along the Shawsheen River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 124 ft, the Shawsheen River At Hanscom Field Near Bedford.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Shawsheen River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Shawsheen 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)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shawsheen River At Hanscom Field Near Bedford
MA
USGS 01100568
|
7 | 0.93 | 0.0 | 153% | 0 | 794 | 124 |
|
Shawsheen River Near Wilmington
MA
USGS 01100600
|
20 | 2.36 | 2.5 | 49% | 1 | 1,880 | 95 |
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
Shawsheen River
The Shawsheen River is a 26.7-mile-long tributary that flows through northeastern Massachusetts, emptying into the Merrimack River. The river played an important role in the Industrial Revolution as it powered many mills and factories. Today, it serves as a source of drinking water for several towns and cities, including Andover and Lawrence. There are several dams and reservoirs along the river, such as Frye Pond and Haggett's Pond, which provide hydroelectric power and recreational opportunities. The Shawsheen River is also used for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing, and it supports a variety of plant and animal species, including trout, bass, and herons. Despite some pollution concerns, efforts are underway to protect and improve the river's water quality for future generations.
Track the Shawsheen 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 Shawsheen River
Where does the data for the Shawsheen 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.