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Shawsheen River at Wilmington

Highest listed crest 10.54 ftFlood stage 7.0 ft57 crests since 1964

The Shawsheen River at Wilmington crested at major flood stage 2 times among the 57 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1964 to 2024. The highest, 10.54 ft on March 16, 2010, was major flooding, 3.54 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Shawsheen River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
10.54 ft
March 16, 2010; 1,880 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
7.0 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
2
18th of 65 gauges in Massachusetts
Most recent flood crest
January 11, 2024
7.85 ft, minor flooding
Location
Middlesex County
Near Woburn (6.3 mi), Lowell (7.3 mi), Lawrence (9.5 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Shawsheen River at Wilmington
Action stage5.023Mar 29, 2005The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)7.022Jan 11, 2024Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage8.010Mar 31, 2010Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.02Mar 16, 2010Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

57 crests from 1964 to 2024. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Shawsheen River at Wilmington, 1964 to 2024 4681012ft Flood stage 7.0 ftMajor 10.0 ft Jan 22, 1964: 5.95 ft, action stage; 370 cubic feet per secondFeb 15, 1966: 5.57 ft, action stage; 317 cubic feet per secondMay 26, 1967: 6.72 ft, action stage; 495 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1968: 8.60 ft, moderate flooding; 1,050 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1969: 7.70 ft, minor flooding; 750 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1970: 7.69 ft, minor flooding; 747 cubic feet per secondFeb 11, 1970: 6.92 ft, action stage; 545 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1970: 7.19 ft, minor flooding; 613 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1971: 5.87 ft, action stage; 329 cubic feet per secondMar 4, 1972: 7.70 ft, minor flooding; 760 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1972: 6.93 ft, action stage; 548 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1972: 6.75 ft, action stage; 503 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1973: 7.30 ft, minor flooding; 653 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1973: 6.80 ft, action stage; 534 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 1973: 6.41 ft, action stage; 449 cubic feet per secondFeb 25, 1975: 6.17 ft, action stage; 400 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1976: 8.08 ft, moderate flooding; 875 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1977: 6.88 ft, action stage; 494 cubic feet per secondJan 22, 1979: 7.55 ft, minor flooding; 801 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 1979: 9.85 ft, moderate flooding; 1,660 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1980: 5.73 ft, action stage; 4,185 cubic feet per secondJan 5, 1982: 7.42 ft, minor flooding; 769 cubic feet per secondFeb 4, 1982: 6.83 ft, action stage; 637 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1982: 7.87 ft, minor flooding; 881 cubic feet per secondMar 3, 1983: 7.13 ft, minor flooding; 701 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1983: 6.87 ft, action stage; 645 cubic feet per secondFeb 17, 1984: 6.92 ft, action stage; 656 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1984: 7.93 ft, minor flooding; 895 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1986: 7.27 ft, minor flooding; 732 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1987: 6.92 ft, action stage; 602 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1987: 8.91 ft, moderate floodingJan 31, 1990: 6.05 ft, action stage; 4,395 cubic feet per secondAug 21, 1991: 6.03 ft, action stage; 4,290 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1993: 7.53 ft, minor flooding; 758 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1994: 6.11 ft, action stage; 4,395 cubic feet per secondDec 25, 1994: 5.06 ft, action stage; 2,675 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1996: 10.49 ft, major flooding; 1,850 cubic feet per secondJun 15, 1998: 9.03 ft, moderate flooding; 1,240 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 2001: 9.87 ft, moderate flooding; 1,580 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2002: 5.62 ft, action stage; 3,385 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2002: 6.21 ft, action stage; 4,485 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2004: 8.65 ft, moderate floodingMar 29, 2005: 6.80 ft, action stageMay 15, 2006: 8.94 ft, moderate flooding; 1,208 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2007: 7.75 ft, minor flooding; 822 cubic feet per secondDec 13, 2008: 7.43 ft, minor flooding; 731 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 2010: 8.15 ft, moderate flooding; 941 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2010: 10.54 ft, major flooding; 1,880 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2010: 9.42 ft, moderate flooding; 1,389 cubic feet per secondMar 8, 2011: 7.00 ft, minor flooding; 620 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2014: 7.26 ft, minor flooding; 686 cubic feet per secondDec 11, 2014: 7.25 ft, minor flooding; 683 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2018: 7.79 ft, minor flooding; 833 cubic feet per secondJan 26, 2019: 7.17 ft, minor flooding; 663 cubic feet per secondSep 3, 2021: 7.31 ft, minor flooding; 698 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 7.51 ft, minor flooding; 752 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 2024: 7.85 ft, minor flooding; 848 cubic feet per second Highest, 10.54 ft, Mar 16, 2010 197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Shawsheen River at Wilmington 1960s: 2 1970s: 7 1980s: 6 1990s: 3 2000s: 5 2010s: 8 8 2020s: 3 1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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

The 50 highest of 57 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Shawsheen River at Wilmington
1Mar 16, 201010.54+3.54Major1,880
2Oct 22, 199610.49+3.49Major1,850
3Mar 23, 20019.87+2.87Moderate1,580
4Jan 26, 19799.85+2.85Moderate1,660
5Mar 31, 20109.42+2.42Moderate1,389
6Jun 15, 19989.03+2.03Moderate1,240
7May 15, 20068.94+1.94Moderate1,208
8Apr 6, 19878.91+1.91Moderate—
9Apr 2, 20048.65+1.65Moderate—
10Mar 19, 19688.60+1.60Moderate1,050
11Feb 26, 20108.15+1.15Moderate941
12Jan 28, 19768.08+1.08Moderate875
13Jun 1, 19847.93+0.93Minor895
14Jun 6, 19827.87+0.87Minor881
15Jan 11, 20247.85+0.85Minor848
16Apr 18, 20187.79+0.79Minor833
17Apr 17, 20077.75+0.75Minor822
18Mar 26, 19697.70+0.70Minor750
19Mar 4, 19727.70+0.70Minor760
20Feb 4, 19707.69+0.69Minor747
21Jan 22, 19797.55+0.55Minor801
22Mar 30, 19937.53+0.53Minor758
23Dec 19, 20237.51+0.51Minor752
24Dec 13, 20087.43+0.43Minor731
25Jan 5, 19827.42+0.42Minor769
26Sep 3, 20217.31+0.31Minor698
27Feb 3, 19737.30+0.30Minor653
28Mar 15, 19867.27+0.27Minor732
29Mar 31, 20147.26+0.26Minor686
30Dec 11, 20147.25+0.25Minor683
31Apr 3, 19707.19+0.19Minor613
32Jan 26, 20197.17+0.17Minor663
33Mar 3, 19837.13+0.13Minor701
34Mar 8, 20117.000.00Minor620
35Mar 18, 19726.93−0.07Action548
36Feb 11, 19706.92−0.08Action545
37Feb 17, 19846.92−0.08Action656
38Apr 1, 19876.92−0.08Action602
39Mar 23, 19776.88−0.12Action494
40Mar 12, 19836.87−0.13Action645
41Feb 4, 19826.83−0.17Action637
42Apr 2, 19736.80−0.20Action534
43Mar 29, 20056.80−0.20Action—
44Mar 23, 19726.75−0.25Action503
45May 26, 19676.72−0.28Action495
46Dec 18, 19736.41−0.59Action449
47Dec 15, 20026.21−0.79Action4,485
48Feb 25, 19756.17−0.83Action400
49Mar 23, 19946.11−0.89Action4,395
50Jan 31, 19906.05−0.95Action4,395

The worst floods along the Shawsheen River

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

March 16, 2010: 10.54 ft here, major flooding

  • AndoverMA · Mar 16, 2010 · 36.16 ft · Major

March 31, 2010: 9.42 ft here, moderate flooding

  • AndoverMA · Apr 1, 2010 · 33.98 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Shawsheen River

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

Flood gauges on the Shawsheen River
Wilmington this gaugeMA7.010.54 ft, Mar 16, 20102
AndoverMA29.037.45 ft, May 15, 20062

Other gauges in Middlesex County

Flood gauges in Middlesex County
Maynard5.08.94 ft, Aug 20, 19556
Waltham5.07.56 ft, Mar 16, 20100
Lowell8.09.74 ft, Mar 17, 20100
Lowell52.068.40 ft, Mar 20, 19365
East Pepperell8.019.10 ft, Mar 20, 19363
West Groton7.08.50 ft, Apr 17, 20070
Saxonville10.013.99 ft, Mar 31, 20103

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WLMM3, 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.