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Penobscot River at West Enfield

Highest listed crest 25.15 ftFlood stage 17.0 ft42 crests since 1907

The Penobscot River at West Enfield crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 42 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1907 to 2023. The highest, 25.15 ft on May 1, 1923, was major flooding, 8.15 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Penobscot River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
25.15 ft
May 1, 1923; 153,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
17.0 ft
Major flooding from 24.0 ft
Crests at major
1
16th of 55 gauges in Maine
Most recent flood crest
December 20, 2023
18.60 ft, minor flooding
Location
Penobscot County
Maine

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Penobscot River at West Enfield
Action stage15.510Dec 2, 2020The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)17.022Dec 20, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage20.07May 1, 2008Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage24.01May 1, 1923Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

42 crests from 1907 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Penobscot River at West Enfield, 1907 to 2023 14161820222426ft Flood stage 17.0 ftMajor 24.0 ft May 2, 1907: 17.25 ft, minor flooding; 92,600 cubic feet per secondSep 30, 1909: 18.00 ft, minor flooding; 85,900 cubic feet per secondJun 19, 1917: 17.70 ft, minor flooding; 87,900 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1923: 25.15 ft, major flooding; 153,000 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1934: 17.20 ft, minor flooding; 83,900 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1936: 22.03 ft, moderate flooding; 125,000 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1940: 20.65 ft, moderate flooding; 113,000 cubic feet per secondMay 7, 1947: 16.62 ft, action stage; 79,100 cubic feet per secondApr 23, 1950: 16.64 ft, action stage; 81,100 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1950: 18.23 ft, minor flooding; 94,600 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1953: 17.90 ft, minor flooding; 91,600 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1954: 16.88 ft, action stage; 83,000 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1958: 19.22 ft, minor flooding; 104,000 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1961: 16.76 ft, action stage; 82,100 cubic feet per secondNov 10, 1963: 16.77 ft, action stage; 82,200 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1966: 19.32 ft, minor flooding; 105,000 cubic feet per secondMay 5, 1971: 17.15 ft, minor flooding; 85,200 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1973: 21.66 ft, moderate flooding; 128,000 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 1973: 19.68 ft, minor flooding; 108,000 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1976: 19.86 ft, minor flooding; 110,000 cubic feet per secondJan 16, 1978: 18.99 ft, minor floodingApr 30, 1979: 19.23 ft, minor flooding; 104,000 cubic feet per secondSep 25, 1981: 18.34 ft, minor flooding; 95,600 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1983: 20.81 ft, moderate flooding; 118,000 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1984: 20.08 ft, moderate flooding; 112,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1987: 23.58 ft, moderate flooding; 147,000 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1989: 16.44 ft, action stage; 79,000 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1993: 18.93 ft, minor flooding; 101,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 1994: 18.61 ft, minor flooding; 98,000 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 2005: 19.76 ft, minor flooding; 108,140 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2008: 21.62 ft, moderate flooding; 125,440 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2009: 17.33 ft, minor flooding; 85,400 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2010: 15.17 ft, below flood stage; 68,000 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 2010: 18.47 ft, minor flooding; 98,400 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2014: 18.82 ft, minor floodingOct 1, 2015: 15.05 ft, below flood stage; 69,000 cubic feet per secondApr 18, 2017: 16.20 ft, action stage; 78,400 cubic feet per secondApr 27, 2018: 16.62 ft, action stage; 81,900 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 2019: 17.11 ft, minor flooding; 85,600 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2020: 16.44 ft, action stage; 79,900 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2020: 16.09 ft, action stage; 77,000 cubic feet per secondDec 20, 2023: 18.60 ft, minor flooding; 99,100 cubic feet per second Highest, 25.15 ft, May 1, 1923 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Penobscot River at West Enfield 1900s: 2 1910s: 1 1920s: 1 1930s: 2 1940s: 1 1950s: 3 1960s: 1 1970s: 6 6 1980s: 4 1990s: 2 2000s: 3 2010s: 3 2020s: 1 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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, Penobscot River at West Enfield
1May 1, 192325.15+8.15Major153,000
2Apr 2, 198723.58+6.58Moderate147,000
3Mar 21, 193622.03+5.03Moderate125,000
4Apr 30, 197321.66+4.66Moderate128,000
5May 1, 200821.62+4.62Moderate125,440
6Apr 19, 198320.81+3.81Moderate118,000
7Apr 14, 194020.65+3.65Moderate113,000
8Jun 3, 198420.08+3.08Moderate112,000
9Apr 4, 197619.86+2.86Minor110,000
10Apr 30, 200519.76+2.76Minor108,140
11Dec 23, 197319.68+2.68Minor108,000
12Nov 5, 196619.32+2.32Minor105,000
13Apr 30, 197919.23+2.23Minor104,000
14Apr 24, 195819.22+2.22Minor104,000
15Jan 16, 197818.99+1.99Minor—
16Apr 13, 199318.93+1.93Minor101,000
17Apr 16, 201418.82+1.82Minor—
18Apr 18, 199418.61+1.61Minor98,000
19Dec 20, 202318.60+1.60Minor99,100
20Dec 15, 201018.47+1.47Minor98,400
21Sep 25, 198118.34+1.34Minor95,600
22Nov 28, 195018.23+1.23Minor94,600
23Sep 30, 190918.00+1.00Minor85,900
24Apr 1, 195317.90+0.90Minor91,600
25Jun 19, 191717.70+0.70Minor87,900
26Apr 8, 200917.33+0.33Minor85,400
27May 2, 190717.25+0.25Minor92,600
28Apr 21, 193417.20+0.20Minor83,900
29May 5, 197117.15+0.15Minor85,200
30Apr 22, 201917.11+0.11Minor85,600
31Apr 24, 195416.88−0.12Action83,000
32Nov 10, 196316.77−0.23Action82,200
33May 29, 196116.76−0.24Action82,100
34Apr 23, 195016.64−0.36Action81,100
35May 7, 194716.62−0.38Action79,100
36Apr 27, 201816.62−0.38Action81,900
37May 15, 198916.44−0.56Action79,000
38Apr 15, 202016.44−0.56Action79,900
39Apr 18, 201716.20−0.80Action78,400
40Dec 2, 202016.09−0.91Action77,000
41Apr 1, 201015.17−1.83Below flood stage68,000
42Oct 1, 201515.05−1.95Below flood stage69,000

The worst floods along the Penobscot River

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

May 1, 1923: 25.15 ft here, major flooding

  • GrindstoneME · Apr 30, 1923 · 16.90 ft · Moderate · its highest

April 2, 1987: 23.58 ft here, moderate flooding

  • EddingtonME · Apr 3, 1987 · 23.53 ft · Major · its highest

March 21, 1936: 22.03 ft here, moderate flooding

Gauges on the Penobscot River

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

Flood gauges on the Penobscot River
GrindstoneME14.016.90 ft, Apr 30, 19230
West Enfield this gaugeME17.025.15 ft, May 1, 19231
EddingtonME18.023.53 ft, Apr 3, 19871
BangorME11.617.90 ft, Feb 2, 19761

Other gauges in Penobscot County

Flood gauges in Penobscot County
Grand Lake Matagamon8.59.60 ft, Dec 19, 20230
Bangor10.012.85 ft, Jan 15, 20180
Mattawamkeag13.516.31 ft, Apr 18, 20140
Grindstone14.016.90 ft, Apr 30, 19230
Bangor11.617.90 ft, Feb 2, 19761
Eddington18.023.53 ft, Apr 3, 19871
Shin Pond11.013.48 ft, Apr 30, 20080

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge WENM1, 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.