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Contoocook River at Henniker

Highest listed crest 21.30 ftFlood stage 12.0 ft17 crests since 1938

The Contoocook River at Henniker crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 17 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2023. The highest, 21.30 ft on September 21, 1938, was major flooding, 9.30 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Contoocook River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 1 at its own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
21.30 ft
September 21, 1938; 22,200 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
12.0 ft
Major flooding from 20.0 ft
Crests at major
1
20th of 34 gauges in New Hampshire
Most recent flood crest
July 11, 2023
12.36 ft, minor flooding
Location
Merrimack County
New Hampshire

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Contoocook River at Henniker
Action stage10.00—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)12.016Jul 11, 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 stage20.01Sep 21, 1938Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

17 crests from 1938 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Contoocook River at Henniker, 1938 to 2023 121416182022ft Flood stage 12.0 ftMajor 20.0 ft Sep 21, 1938: 21.30 ft, major flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1940: 12.72 ft, minor flooding; 8,020 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1944: 13.13 ft, minor flooding; 9,460 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1948: 12.29 ft, minor flooding; 7,590 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1956: 12.05 ft, minor flooding; 7,180 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1960: 13.12 ft, minor flooding; 9,440 cubic feet per secondJan 18, 1977: 13.22 ft, minor floodingMar 15, 1977: 12.06 ft, minor flooding; 7,660 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1996: 12.25 ft, minor flooding; 7,990 cubic feet per secondOct 22, 1996: 13.18 ft, minor flooding; 9,840 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2004: 13.32 ft, minor flooding; 10,100 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2005: 12.36 ft, minor flooding; 7,860 cubic feet per secondOct 16, 2005: 13.75 ft, minor flooding; 11,100 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 2006: 13.48 ft, minor flooding; 10,400 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2007: 14.54 ft, minor flooding; 13,100 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2010: 13.25 ft, minor flooding; 9,880 cubic feet per secondJul 11, 2023: 12.36 ft, minor flooding; 7,707 cubic feet per second Highest, 21.30 ft, Sep 21, 1938 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Contoocook River at Henniker 1930s: 1 1940s: 3 1950s: 1 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2000s: 5 5 2010s: 1 2020s: 1 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, Contoocook River at Henniker
1Sep 21, 193821.30+9.30Major22,200
2Apr 17, 200714.54+2.54Minor13,100
3Oct 16, 200513.75+1.75Minor11,100
4May 15, 200613.48+1.48Minor10,400
5Apr 3, 200413.32+1.32Minor10,100
6Mar 16, 201013.25+1.25Minor9,880
7Jan 18, 197713.22+1.22Minor—
8Oct 22, 199613.18+1.18Minor9,840
9Jun 26, 194413.13+1.13Minor9,460
10Apr 6, 196013.12+1.12Minor9,440
11Apr 13, 194012.72+0.72Minor8,020
12Apr 4, 200512.36+0.36Minor7,860
13Jul 11, 202312.36+0.36Minor7,707
14Mar 23, 194812.29+0.29Minor7,590
15Apr 17, 199612.25+0.25Minor7,990
16Mar 15, 197712.06+0.06Minor7,660
17May 1, 195612.05+0.05Minor7,180

The worst floods along the Contoocook River

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

September 21, 1938: 21.30 ft here, major flooding

  • PeterboroughNH · Sep 21, 1938 · 15.00 ft · Major · its highest

April 17, 2007: 14.54 ft here, minor flooding

October 16, 2005: 13.75 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Contoocook River

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

Flood gauges on the Contoocook River
PeterboroughNH5.515.00 ft, Sep 21, 19381
Henniker this gaugeNH12.021.30 ft, Sep 21, 19381

Other gauges in Merrimack County

Flood gauges in Merrimack County
Concord14.026.20 ft, Mar 20, 19363
Franklin Jct.16.036.40 ft, Mar 19, 19363
Bristol8.016.09 ft, Mar 19, 19361
North Chichester7.015.97 ft, Apr 17, 20070
Davisville8.012.80 ft, Sep 22, 19382
Tilton7.08.68 ft, May 31, 19842

Merrimack County: every hazard · River floods across the country · New Hampshire

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge HENN3, 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.