Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Deerfield River at Charlemont

Highest listed crest 20.17 ftFlood stage 10.0 ft39 crests since 1914

The Deerfield River at Charlemont crested at major flood stage 6 times among the 39 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1914 to 2025. The highest, 20.17 ft on September 21, 1938, was major flooding, 10.17 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
20.17 ft
September 21, 1938; 56,300 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
10.0 ft
Major flooding from 15.0 ft
Crests at major
6
3rd of 65 gauges in Massachusetts
Most recent flood crest
December 18, 2023
10.02 ft, minor flooding
Location
Franklin County
Near Greenfield (13.1 mi), North Adams (13.8 mi)

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Deerfield River at Charlemont
Action stage8.010Mar 17, 2025The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)10.017Dec 18, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage13.06Jul 10, 2023Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage15.06Aug 28, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

39 crests from 1914 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Deerfield River at Charlemont, 1914 to 2025 510152025ft Flood stage 10.0 ftMajor 15.0 ft Apr 20, 1914: 10.00 ft, minor flooding; 18,200 cubic feet per secondJul 8, 1915: 15.70 ft, major flooding; 38,200 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1919: 12.27 ft, minor flooding; 27,500 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1920: 10.04 ft, minor flooding; 18,400 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1921: 13.35 ft, moderate flooding; 32,400 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1922: 10.70 ft, minor flooding; 21,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1925: 15.97 ft, major flooding; 9,330 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1927: 13.38 ft, moderate flooding; 36,000 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1931: 10.12 ft, minor flooding; 18,900 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1937: 9.61 ft, action stage; 15,800 cubic feet per secondSep 21, 1938: 20.17 ft, major flooding; 56,300 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1940: 9.83 ft, action stage; 14,000 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1943: 9.80 ft, action stage; 14,000 cubic feet per secondJun 24, 1944: 9.69 ft, action stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1945: 10.15 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondDec 31, 1948: 17.75 ft, major flooding; 42,600 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1950: 10.52 ft, minor flooding; 16,100 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1952: 13.88 ft, moderate flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1955: 11.19 ft, minor flooding; 18,100 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1973: 10.79 ft, minor flooding; 16,900 cubic feet per secondAug 10, 1976: 11.90 ft, minor flooding; 20,200 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1977: 10.15 ft, minor flooding; 15,000 cubic feet per secondMay 25, 1979: 11.20 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1980: 12.39 ft, minor flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondFeb 20, 1981: 11.42 ft, minor flooding; 18,700 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1984: 13.12 ft, moderate flooding; 24,300 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1987: 16.25 ft, major flooding; 36,200 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1990: 9.70 ft, action stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1995: 9.68 ft, action stage; 13,700 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1998: 9.74 ft, action stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondJul 16, 2000: 11.19 ft, minor flooding; 18,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2004: 9.71 ft, action stage; 13,800 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 9.50 ft, action stage; 13,300 cubic feet per secondOct 9, 2005: 13.53 ft, moderate flooding; 25,700 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 10.12 ft, minor flooding; 14,900 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 20.17 ft, major flooding; 54,000 cubic feet per secondJul 10, 2023: 13.06 ft, moderate flooding; 21,300 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 10.02 ft, minor flooding; 14,617 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 2025: 8.23 ft, action stage; 10,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 20.17 ft, Sep 21, 1938 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Deerfield River at Charlemont 1910s: 3 1920s: 5 5 1930s: 2 1940s: 2 1950s: 3 1960s: 0 1970s: 4 1980s: 4 1990s: 0 2000s: 3 2010s: 1 2020s: 2 1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Deerfield River at Charlemont
1Sep 21, 193820.17+10.17Major56,300
2Aug 28, 201120.17+10.17Major54,000
3Dec 31, 194817.75+7.75Major42,600
4Apr 4, 198716.25+6.25Major36,200
5Feb 12, 192515.97+5.97Major9,330
6Jul 8, 191515.70+5.70Major38,200
7Jun 1, 195213.88+3.88Moderate27,000
8Oct 9, 200513.53+3.53Moderate25,700
9Nov 3, 192713.38+3.38Moderate36,000
10Mar 9, 192113.35+3.35Moderate32,400
11May 29, 198413.12+3.12Moderate24,300
12Jul 10, 202313.06+3.06Moderate21,300
13Apr 10, 198012.39+2.39Minor21,800
14Mar 28, 191912.27+2.27Minor27,500
15Aug 10, 197611.90+1.90Minor20,200
16Feb 20, 198111.42+1.42Minor18,700
17May 25, 197911.20+1.20Minor18,000
18Oct 15, 195511.19+1.19Minor18,100
19Jul 16, 200011.19+1.19Minor18,000
20Dec 21, 197310.79+0.79Minor16,900
21Apr 12, 192210.70+0.70Minor21,000
22Nov 26, 195010.52+0.52Minor16,100
23Apr 26, 194510.15+0.15Minor15,000
24Mar 14, 197710.15+0.15Minor15,000
25Jun 10, 193110.12+0.12Minor18,900
26Apr 16, 200710.12+0.12Minor14,900
27Apr 13, 192010.04+0.04Minor18,400
28Dec 18, 202310.02+0.02Minor14,617
29Apr 20, 191410.000.00Minor18,200
30May 3, 19409.83−0.17Action14,000
31May 13, 19439.80−0.20Action14,000
32Jun 15, 19989.74−0.26Action13,800
33Apr 2, 20049.71−0.29Action13,800
34Mar 17, 19909.70−0.30Action13,700
35Jun 24, 19449.69−0.31Action13,700
36Oct 22, 19959.68−0.32Action13,700
37May 15, 19379.61−0.39Action15,800
38Apr 3, 20059.50−0.50Action13,300
39Mar 17, 20258.23−1.77Action10,000

The worst floods along the Deerfield River

For this gauge's highest crests, the other gauges on the Deerfield River that crested above flood stage within a week.

August 28, 2011: 20.17 ft here, major flooding

December 31, 1948: 17.75 ft here, major flooding

April 4, 1987: 16.25 ft here, major flooding

Gauges on the Deerfield River

In USGS station-number order, which runs downstream within a river basin.

Flood gauges on the Deerfield River
Charlemont this gaugeMA10.020.17 ft, Sep 21, 19386
West DeerfieldMA9.023.77 ft, Aug 28, 20112

Other gauges in Franklin County

Flood gauges in Franklin County
Montague28.049.20 ft, Mar 19, 19362
West Deerfield9.023.77 ft, Aug 28, 20112
Colrain7.013.31 ft, Aug 28, 20111
Erving7.013.37 ft, Sep 22, 19381
Shattuckville9.017.66 ft, Aug 28, 20111

Franklin County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Massachusetts

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge CLMM3, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.