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Kennebec River at Gardiner

Highest listed crest 26.40 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft5 crests since 1936

The Kennebec River at Gardiner crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 5 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2023. The highest, 26.40 ft on March 21, 1936, was major flooding, 13.40 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Kennebec River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
26.40 ft
March 21, 1936
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
3
8th of 55 gauges in Maine
Most recent flood crest
December 19, 2023
19.24 ft, major flooding
Location
Kennebec County
Near Augusta (7.4 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Kennebec River at Gardiner
Action stage12.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.02May 2, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.03Dec 19, 2023Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

5 crests from 1936 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Kennebec River at Gardiner, 1936 to 2023 1015202530ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Mar 21, 1936: 26.40 ft, major floodingApr 2, 1987: 24.70 ft, major floodingApr 29, 2005: 13.43 ft, minor floodingMay 2, 2023: 14.25 ft, minor floodingDec 19, 2023: 19.24 ft, major flooding Highest, 26.40 ft, Mar 21, 1936 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Kennebec River at Gardiner 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 0 1980s: 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 2 2 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Kennebec River at Gardiner
1Mar 21, 193626.40+13.40Major—
2Apr 2, 198724.70+11.70Major—
3Dec 19, 202319.24+6.24Major—
4May 2, 202314.25+1.25Minor—
5Apr 29, 200513.43+0.43Minor—

The worst floods along the Kennebec River

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

March 21, 1936: 26.40 ft here, major flooding

  • AugustaME · Mar 20, 1936 · 30.70 ft · Major

April 2, 1987: 24.70 ft here, major flooding

  • North SidneyME · Apr 2, 1987 · 39.31 ft · Major · its highest
  • AugustaME · Apr 2, 1987 · 34.10 ft · Major · its highest

December 19, 2023: 19.24 ft here, major flooding

  • North SidneyME · Dec 19, 2023 · 32.32 ft · Major
  • SkowheganME · Dec 19, 2023 · 31.00 ft · Major · its highest
  • AugustaME · Dec 19, 2023 · 26.92 ft · Major
  • HallowellME · Dec 20, 2023 · 22.49 ft · Major · its highest

Gauges on the Kennebec River

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

Flood gauges on the Kennebec River
AugustaME12.034.10 ft, Apr 2, 19873
Gardiner this gaugeME13.026.40 ft, Mar 21, 19363
HallowellME11.022.49 ft, Dec 20, 20231
North SidneyME20.039.31 ft, Apr 2, 19872
SkowheganME15.031.00 ft, Dec 19, 20231

Other gauges in Kennebec County

Flood gauges in Kennebec County
Augusta12.034.10 ft, Apr 2, 19873
Hallowell11.022.49 ft, Dec 20, 20231
North Sidney20.039.31 ft, Apr 2, 19872

Kennebec County: every hazard · River floods across the country · Maine

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge GIRM1, 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.