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Ware River at Barre Plains

Highest listed crest 7.49 ftFlood stage 5.5 ft28 crests since 1948

The Ware River at Barre Plains crested above flood stage 13 times among the 28 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1948 to 2023. The highest, 7.49 ft on March 7, 2011, was moderate flooding, 1.99 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Ware River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
7.49 ft
March 7, 2011; 5,468 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.5 ft
Major flooding from 10.0 ft
Crests at major
0
13 above flood stage
Most recent flood crest
December 19, 2023
5.62 ft, minor flooding
Location
Worcester County
Massachusetts
Identifiers
NWS BPLM3
No USGS station

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Ware River at Barre Plains
Action stage4.514Apr 20, 2001The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.512Dec 19, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.01Mar 7, 2011Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage10.00—Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

28 crests from 1948 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Ware River at Barre Plains, 1948 to 2023 46810ft Flood stage 5.5 ftMajor 10.0 ft Mar 23, 1948: 5.93 ft, minor flooding; 1,450 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1954: 5.31 ft, action stage; 957 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1955: 5.53 ft, minor flooding; 1,120 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 1955: 6.31 ft, minor flooding; 1,890 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1958: 5.32 ft, action stage; 964 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1959: 5.37 ft, action stage; 999 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1960: 5.38 ft, action stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1962: 5.19 ft, action stage; 888 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1963: 5.41 ft, action stage; 1,050 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1968: 5.05 ft, action stage; 793 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1977: 5.13 ft, action stage; 847 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 1979: 5.62 ft, minor flooding; 1,230 cubic feet per secondJun 10, 1982: 5.45 ft, action stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondJun 12, 1984: 5.10 ft, action stage; 1,080 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1987: 5.56 ft, minor flooding; 1,630 cubic feet per secondOct 23, 1989: 5.30 ft, action stage; 1,300 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1993: 5.00 ft, action stage; 708 cubic feet per secondJan 30, 1996: 5.34 ft, action stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 1999: 4.20 ft, below flood stageApr 20, 2001: 5.14 ft, action stage; 1,120 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 5.69 ft, minor floodingOct 15, 2005: 6.32 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 2011: 7.49 ft, moderate flooding; 5,468 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 5.88 ft, minor flooding; 2,094 cubic feet per secondSep 8, 2011: 6.44 ft, minor flooding; 3,242 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2014: 5.57 ft, minor flooding; 1,579 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 2019: 6.75 ft, minor flooding; 3,900 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 5.62 ft, minor flooding; 1,765 cubic feet per second Highest, 7.49 ft, Mar 7, 2011 19501960197019801990200020102020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Ware River at Barre Plains 1940s: 1 1950s: 2 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 2 2010s: 5 5 2020s: 1 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Ware River at Barre Plains
1Mar 7, 20117.49+1.99Moderate5,468
2Jan 25, 20196.75+1.25Minor3,900
3Sep 8, 20116.44+0.94Minor3,242
4Oct 15, 20056.32+0.82Minor—
5Oct 16, 19556.31+0.81Minor1,890
6Mar 23, 19485.93+0.43Minor1,450
7Aug 28, 20115.88+0.38Minor2,094
8Apr 3, 20055.69+0.19Minor—
9Mar 14, 19795.62+0.12Minor1,230
10Dec 19, 20235.62+0.12Minor1,765
11Mar 31, 20145.57+0.07Minor1,579
12Apr 13, 19875.56+0.06Minor1,630
13Aug 20, 19555.53+0.03Minor1,120
14Jun 10, 19825.45−0.05Action1,080
15Apr 8, 19635.41−0.09Action1,050
16Apr 21, 19605.38−0.12Action1,030
17Apr 3, 19595.37−0.13Action999
18Jan 30, 19965.34−0.16Action1,350
19Apr 8, 19585.32−0.18Action964
20Sep 12, 19545.31−0.19Action957
21Oct 23, 19895.30−0.20Action1,300
22Apr 1, 19625.19−0.31Action888
23Apr 20, 20015.14−0.36Action1,120
24Mar 18, 19775.13−0.37Action847
25Jun 12, 19845.10−0.40Action1,080
26Mar 26, 19685.05−0.45Action793
27Apr 3, 19935.00−0.50Action708
28Jan 24, 19994.20−1.30Below flood stage—

The worst floods along the Ware River

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

March 7, 2011: 7.49 ft here, moderate flooding

September 8, 2011: 6.44 ft here, minor flooding

October 15, 2005: 6.32 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Ware River

Flood gauges sharing the river's name, linked within 80 miles of one another.

Flood gauges on the Ware River
Barre Plains this gaugeMA5.57.49 ft, Mar 7, 20110
Gibbs CrossingMA7.018.20 ft, Sep 21, 19383

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
Fitchburg6.59.25 ft, Apr 5, 19870
Winchendon6.59.90 ft, Sep 21, 19380

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BPLM3, 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.