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North Nashua River at Fitchburg

Highest listed crest 9.25 ftFlood stage 6.5 ft43 crests since 1973

The North Nashua River at Fitchburg crested above flood stage 27 times among the 43 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1973 to 2023. The highest, 9.25 ft on April 5, 1987, was moderate flooding, 2.75 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.25 ft
April 5, 1987; 3,510 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
6.5 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
0
27 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
December 18, 2023
6.91 ft, minor flooding
Location
Worcester County
Near Fitchburg (2.3 mi), Leominster (3.9 mi), Gardner (10.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, North Nashua River at Fitchburg
Action stage5.016Oct 25, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)6.524Dec 18, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.03Mar 7, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

43 crests from 1973 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the North Nashua River at Fitchburg, 1973 to 2023 5678910ft Flood stage 6.5 ftMajor 10.0 ft Dec 21, 1973: 6.22 ft, action stage; 2,080 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1975: 5.69 ft, action stage; 1,670 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1976: 5.37 ft, action stage; 1,450 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1977: 6.23 ft, action stage; 2,080 cubic feet per secondJan 9, 1978: 5.64 ft, action stage; 1,640 cubic feet per secondMar 6, 1979: 6.20 ft, action stage; 2,060 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1980: 5.79 ft, action stage; 1,750 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1983: 6.00 ft, action stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1984: 7.02 ft, minor flooding; 2,740 cubic feet per secondJan 27, 1986: 5.92 ft, action stage; 1,990 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1987: 9.25 ft, moderate flooding; 3,510 cubic feet per secondApr 28, 1988: 6.22 ft, action stage; 1,250 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1989: 6.91 ft, minor flooding; 1,550 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1991: 7.07 ft, minor flooding; 2,320 cubic feet per secondNov 23, 1991: 5.71 ft, action stage; 1,130 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1993: 6.73 ft, minor flooding; 1,650 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1993: 5.50 ft, action stage; 810 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 1994: 6.59 ft, minor flooding; 1,860 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1996: 7.59 ft, minor flooding; 2,840 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1996: 6.91 ft, minor flooding; 2,160 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 1998: 7.32 ft, minor flooding; 2,570 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1999: 5.83 ft, action stage; 1,220 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2000: 6.57 ft, minor flooding; 1,840 cubic feet per secondJun 17, 2001: 6.61 ft, minor flooding; 1,880 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2002: 5.48 ft, action stage; 960 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2003: 5.38 ft, action stage; 892 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2004: 7.59 ft, minor flooding; 2,840 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 7.53 ft, minor flooding; 2,420 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2005: 7.05 ft, minor floodingOct 25, 2005: 6.40 ft, action stageMay 14, 2006: 6.54 ft, minor flooding; 1,816 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 8.59 ft, moderate flooding; 3,919 cubic feet per secondSep 7, 2008: 6.72 ft, minor flooding; 1,977 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2010: 7.34 ft, minor flooding; 2,586 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2010: 7.99 ft, minor flooding; 3,259 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2011: 8.02 ft, moderate flooding; 3,291 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 6.64 ft, minor flooding; 1,908 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2017: 7.92 ft, minor flooding; 3,182 cubic feet per secondSep 18, 2018: 7.18 ft, minor flooding; 2,427 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2019: 6.87 ft, minor flooding; 2,121 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 2022: 6.69 ft, minor flooding; 1,800 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 2022: 6.54 ft, minor flooding; 1,750 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 6.91 ft, minor flooding; 2,064 cubic feet per second Highest, 9.25 ft, Apr 5, 1987 19801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, North Nashua River at Fitchburg 1970s: 0 1980s: 3 1990s: 6 2000s: 8 8 2010s: 7 2020s: 3 1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, North Nashua River at Fitchburg
1Apr 5, 19879.25+2.75Moderate3,510
2Apr 16, 20078.59+2.09Moderate3,919
3Mar 7, 20118.02+1.52Moderate3,291
4Mar 15, 20107.99+1.49Minor3,259
5Oct 30, 20177.92+1.42Minor3,182
6Apr 16, 19967.59+1.09Minor2,840
7Apr 2, 20047.59+1.09Minor2,840
8Apr 3, 20057.53+1.03Minor2,420
9Feb 26, 20107.34+0.84Minor2,586
10Mar 9, 19987.32+0.82Minor2,570
11Sep 18, 20187.18+0.68Minor2,427
12Aug 19, 19917.07+0.57Minor2,320
13Oct 15, 20057.05+0.55Minor—
14Apr 5, 19847.02+0.52Minor2,740
15Oct 20, 19896.91+0.41Minor1,550
16Oct 21, 19966.91+0.41Minor2,160
17Dec 18, 20236.91+0.41Minor2,064
18Jan 25, 20196.87+0.37Minor2,121
19Mar 30, 19936.73+0.23Minor1,650
20Sep 7, 20086.72+0.22Minor1,977
21Feb 4, 20226.69+0.19Minor1,800
22Aug 28, 20116.64+0.14Minor1,908
23Jun 17, 20016.61+0.11Minor1,880
24Dec 24, 19946.59+0.09Minor1,860
25Apr 22, 20006.57+0.07Minor1,840
26May 14, 20066.54+0.04Minor1,816
27Dec 23, 20226.54+0.04Minor1,750
28Oct 25, 20056.40−0.10Action—
29Mar 14, 19776.23−0.27Action2,080
30Dec 21, 19736.22−0.28Action2,080
31Apr 28, 19886.22−0.28Action1,250
32Mar 6, 19796.20−0.30Action2,060
33Mar 19, 19836.00−0.50Action1,900
34Jan 27, 19865.92−0.58Action1,990
35Mar 22, 19995.83−0.67Action1,220
36Mar 22, 19805.79−0.71Action1,750
37Nov 23, 19915.71−0.79Action1,130
38Apr 3, 19755.69−0.81Action1,670
39Jan 9, 19785.64−0.86Action1,640
40Dec 21, 19935.50−1.00Action810
41May 14, 20025.48−1.02Action960
42Mar 22, 20035.38−1.12Action892
43Jan 28, 19765.37−1.13Action1,450

Other gauges in Worcester County

Flood gauges in Worcester County
Northbridge9.016.74 ft, Aug 20, 19551
Webster8.526.05 ft, Aug 19, 19550
Athol13.515.79 ft, Jan 13, 20180
Winchendon6.59.90 ft, Sep 21, 19380
Barre Plains5.57.49 ft, Mar 7, 20110

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge FBGM3, 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.