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Contoocook River at Peterborough

Highest listed crest 15.00 ftFlood stage 5.5 ft51 crests since 1938

The Contoocook River at Peterborough crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 51 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1938 to 2023. The highest, 15.00 ft on September 21, 1938, was major flooding, 9.50 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
15.00 ft
September 21, 1938
Flood stage
5.5 ft
Major flooding from 9.0 ft
Crests at major
1
20th of 34 gauges in New Hampshire
Most recent flood crest
October 30, 2017
6.10 ft, minor flooding
Location
Hillsborough 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 Peterborough
Action stage4.033Dec 18, 2023The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.516Oct 30, 2017Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.01Apr 16, 2007Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage9.01Sep 21, 1938Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

51 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 Peterborough, 1938 to 2023 46810121416ft Flood stage 5.5 ftMajor 9.0 ft Sep 21, 1938: 15.00 ft, major floodingMar 22, 1948: 5.22 ft, action stage; 1,700 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1950: 6.35 ft, minor flooding; 2,640 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 1951: 5.05 ft, action stage; 1,580 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1951: 5.10 ft, action stage; 1,610 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 1954: 5.00 ft, action stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondSep 11, 1954: 5.32 ft, action stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 1955: 5.20 ft, action stage; 1,680 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 1956: 5.66 ft, minor flooding; 2,050 cubic feet per secondApr 29, 1956: 5.39 ft, action stage; 1,830 cubic feet per secondJan 23, 1957: 5.25 ft, action stageApr 5, 1960: 5.47 ft, action stage; 1,900 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1960: 5.93 ft, minor flooding; 2,260 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1968: 5.01 ft, action stage; 1,550 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1971: 4.44 ft, action stage; 11,605 cubic feet per secondMar 17, 1973: 4.67 ft, action stage; 1,310 cubic feet per secondDec 21, 1973: 5.81 ft, minor flooding; 2,170 cubic feet per secondJan 29, 1976: 6.82 ft, minor floodingMar 14, 1977: 5.30 ft, action stage; 1,750 cubic feet per secondApr 10, 1980: 5.16 ft, action stage; 1,650 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1983: 4.72 ft, action stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondMay 31, 1984: 5.85 ft, minor flooding; 2,200 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1985: 4.40 ft, action stage; 1,110 cubic feet per secondMar 20, 1986: 4.72 ft, action stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1987: 6.62 ft, minor flooding; 2,860 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 1988: 4.22 ft, action stage; 1,030 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1989: 4.55 ft, action stage; 1,230 cubic feet per secondAug 19, 1991: 5.86 ft, minor flooding; 2,210 cubic feet per secondNov 26, 1991: 4.21 ft, action stage; 1,020 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1993: 4.35 ft, action stage; 1,070 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1994: 4.22 ft, action stage; 9,895 cubic feet per secondDec 24, 1994: 5.01 ft, action stage; 1,540 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1996: 5.85 ft, minor flooding; 2,190 cubic feet per secondOct 21, 1997: 5.83 ft, minor floodingJun 16, 1998: 5.11 ft, action stage; 1,610 cubic feet per secondSep 17, 1999: 4.84 ft, action stage; 1,410 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2001: 4.62 ft, action stage; 1,340 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2003: 4.64 ft, action stage; 1,350 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 2005: 5.67 ft, minor flooding; 2,600 cubic feet per secondOct 15, 2005: 5.73 ft, minor flooding; 2,670 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 7.21 ft, moderate flooding; 4,110 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 2010: 6.03 ft, minor flooding; 2,710 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2010: 5.76 ft, minor flooding; 2,430 cubic feet per secondMar 7, 2011: 6.92 ft, minor floodingDec 8, 2011: 4.68 ft, action stage; 1,480 cubic feet per secondMar 31, 2012: 4.54 ft, action stage; 1,360 cubic feet per secondOct 30, 2017: 6.10 ft, minor flooding; 2,790 cubic feet per secondJan 24, 2019: 5.05 ft, action stage; 1,780 cubic feet per secondDec 14, 2019: 4.44 ft, action stage; 1,280 cubic feet per secondDec 23, 2022: 4.98 ft, action stage; 1,720 cubic feet per secondDec 18, 2023: 4.79 ft, action stage; 1,570 cubic feet per second Highest, 15.00 ft, Sep 21, 1938 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Contoocook River at Peterborough 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 2 1960s: 1 1970s: 2 1980s: 2 1990s: 3 2000s: 3 2010s: 4 4 2020s: 0 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

The 50 highest of 51 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Contoocook River at Peterborough
1Sep 21, 193815.00+9.50Major—
2Apr 16, 20077.21+1.71Moderate4,110
3Mar 7, 20116.92+1.42Minor—
4Jan 29, 19766.82+1.32Minor—
5Apr 6, 19876.62+1.12Minor2,860
6Nov 26, 19506.35+0.85Minor2,640
7Oct 30, 20176.10+0.60Minor2,790
8Mar 15, 20106.03+0.53Minor2,710
9Sep 12, 19605.93+0.43Minor2,260
10Aug 19, 19915.86+0.36Minor2,210
11May 31, 19845.85+0.35Minor2,200
12Apr 16, 19965.85+0.35Minor2,190
13Oct 21, 19975.83+0.33Minor—
14Dec 21, 19735.81+0.31Minor2,170
15Mar 31, 20105.76+0.26Minor2,430
16Oct 15, 20055.73+0.23Minor2,670
17Apr 3, 20055.67+0.17Minor2,600
18Jan 10, 19565.66+0.16Minor2,050
19Apr 5, 19605.47−0.03Action1,900
20Apr 29, 19565.39−0.11Action1,830
21Sep 11, 19545.32−0.18Action1,780
22Mar 14, 19775.30−0.20Action1,750
23Jan 23, 19575.25−0.25Action—
24Mar 22, 19485.22−0.28Action1,700
25Oct 15, 19555.20−0.30Action1,680
26Apr 10, 19805.16−0.34Action1,650
27Jun 16, 19985.11−0.39Action1,610
28Apr 30, 19515.10−0.40Action1,610
29Mar 31, 19515.05−0.45Action1,580
30Jan 24, 20195.05−0.45Action1,780
31Mar 19, 19685.01−0.49Action1,550
32Dec 24, 19945.01−0.49Action1,540
33Mar 16, 19545.00−0.50Action1,540
34Dec 23, 20224.98−0.52Action1,720
35Sep 17, 19994.84−0.66Action1,410
36Dec 18, 20234.79−0.71Action1,570
37Mar 21, 19834.72−0.78Action1,340
38Mar 20, 19864.72−0.78Action1,340
39Dec 8, 20114.68−0.82Action1,480
40Mar 17, 19734.67−0.83Action1,310
41Mar 30, 20034.64−0.86Action1,350
42Apr 14, 20014.62−0.88Action1,340
43Oct 21, 19894.55−0.95Action1,230
44Mar 31, 20124.54−0.96Action1,360
45Apr 13, 19714.44−1.06Action11,605
46Dec 14, 20194.44−1.06Action1,280
47Mar 15, 19854.40−1.10Action1,110
48Apr 17, 19934.35−1.15Action1,070
49Apr 1, 19884.22−1.28Action1,030
50Apr 7, 19944.22−1.28Action9,895

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: 15.00 ft here, major flooding

  • HennikerNH · Sep 21, 1938 · 21.30 ft · Major · its highest

April 16, 2007: 7.21 ft here, moderate flooding

  • HennikerNH · Apr 17, 2007 · 14.54 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Contoocook River

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

Flood gauges on the Contoocook River
Peterborough this gaugeNH5.515.00 ft, Sep 21, 19381
HennikerNH12.021.30 ft, Sep 21, 19381

Other gauges in Hillsborough County

Flood gauges in Hillsborough County
Goffs Falls11.035.19 ft, Mar 20, 19364
Nashua18.041.30 ft, Mar 20, 19361
Goffstown9.017.52 ft, Sep 21, 19384
Merrimack9.016.20 ft, Mar 19, 19361
Milford9.012.49 ft, Apr 16, 20071

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge PTRN3, 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.