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Piscataquis River at Medford

Highest listed crest 18.65 ftFlood stage 13.0 ft15 crests since 1929

The Piscataquis River at Medford crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 15 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1929 to 2023. The highest, 18.65 ft on April 1, 1987, was major flooding, 5.65 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Piscataquis River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
18.65 ft
April 1, 1987; 85,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
13.0 ft
Major flooding from 18.0 ft
Crests at major
1
16th of 55 gauges in Maine
Most recent flood crest
December 19, 2023
13.55 ft, minor flooding
Location
Piscataquis County
Maine

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Piscataquis River at Medford
Action stage12.03Apr 17, 2014The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)13.08Dec 19, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage16.00—Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage18.01Apr 1, 1987Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

15 crests from 1929 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Piscataquis River at Medford, 1929 to 2023 101214161820ft Flood stage 13.0 ftMajor 18.0 ft May 4, 1929: 13.20 ft, minor flooding; 28,000 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1936: 15.07 ft, minor flooding; 50,200 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1940: 12.76 ft, action stage; 38,100 cubic feet per secondNov 28, 1950: 12.72 ft, action stage; 35,500 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1953: 13.06 ft, minor flooding; 41,900 cubic feet per secondNov 4, 1966: 15.58 ft, minor flooding; 60,100 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1973: 13.48 ft, minor flooding; 45,900 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1979: 14.17 ft, minor flooding; 50,200 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1987: 18.65 ft, major flooding; 85,000 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 2008: 13.31 ft, minor flooding; 43,200 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2010: 11.96 ft, below flood stage; 34,900 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2014: 12.33 ft, action stage; 37,100 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 2019: 10.05 ft, below flood stage; 24,200 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 2020: 11.69 ft, below flood stage; 33,300 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 13.55 ft, minor flooding; 44,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 18.65 ft, Apr 1, 1987 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Piscataquis River at Medford 1920s: 1 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 1 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 1 1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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.
  3. 1 crest measured on an earlier gauge datum is left out: 20.80 ft on May 1, 1923.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Piscataquis River at Medford
1Apr 1, 198718.65+5.65Major85,000
2Nov 4, 196615.58+2.58Minor60,100
3Mar 20, 193615.07+2.07Minor50,200
4Apr 29, 197914.17+1.17Minor50,200
5Dec 19, 202313.55+0.55Minor44,800
6Dec 22, 197313.48+0.48Minor45,900
7May 1, 200813.31+0.31Minor43,200
8May 4, 192913.20+0.20Minor28,000
9Mar 28, 195313.06+0.06Minor41,900
10Apr 14, 194012.76−0.24Action38,100
11Nov 28, 195012.72−0.28Action35,500
12Apr 17, 201412.33−0.67Action37,100
13Dec 14, 201011.96−1.04Below flood stage34,900
14Dec 2, 202011.69−1.31Below flood stage33,300
15Apr 21, 201910.05−2.95Below flood stage24,200

The worst floods along the Piscataquis River

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

April 1, 1987: 18.65 ft here, major flooding

November 4, 1966: 15.58 ft here, minor flooding

March 20, 1936: 15.07 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Piscataquis River

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

Flood gauges on the Piscataquis River
BlanchardME10.513.40 ft, Dec 18, 20230
Dover-FoxcroftME11.022.62 ft, Apr 1, 19871
Medford this gaugeME13.018.65 ft, Apr 1, 19871

Other gauges in Piscataquis County

Flood gauges in Piscataquis County
Abbot Village17.018.43 ft, Dec 20, 20030
Blanchard10.513.40 ft, Dec 18, 20230
Dover-Foxcroft11.022.62 ft, Apr 1, 19871
Sebec9.09.00 ft, Dec 20, 20230

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge MFDM1, 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.