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Merrimack River at Franklin Jct.

Highest listed crest 36.40 ftFlood stage 16.0 ft37 crests since 1906

The Merrimack River at Franklin Jct. crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 37 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1906 to 2006. The highest, 36.40 ft on March 19, 1936, was major flooding, 20.40 feet above flood stage. 5 other gauges on the Merrimack River crested above flood stage within a week of it, 5 at their own highest listed crest.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
36.40 ft
March 19, 1936; 83,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
16.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
3
6th of 34 gauges in New Hampshire
Most recent flood crest
April 2, 1976
16.16 ft, minor flooding
Location
Merrimack County
Near Laconia (13.6 mi), Concord (13.9 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Merrimack River at Franklin Jct.
Action stage14.08May 14, 2006The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)16.024Apr 2, 1976Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage22.02Feb 13, 1925Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.03Sep 22, 1938Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

37 crests from 1906 to 2006. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Merrimack River at Franklin Jct., 1906 to 2006 152025303540ft Flood stage 16.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft Apr 16, 1906: 17.20 ft, minor flooding; 27,100 cubic feet per secondNov 3, 1907: 15.00 ft, action stage; 22,300 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 1909: 18.50 ft, minor flooding; 30,000 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1913: 18.30 ft, minor flooding; 29,600 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1914: 19.50 ft, minor flooding; 32,300 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1915: 18.80 ft, minor flooding; 30,700 cubic feet per secondMay 18, 1916: 15.20 ft, action stage; 22,700 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1917: 16.00 ft, minor flooding; 24,500 cubic feet per secondMay 23, 1919: 16.80 ft, minor flooding; 26,300 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1920: 17.50 ft, minor flooding; 27,800 cubic feet per secondDec 15, 1920: 15.00 ft, action stage; 22,300 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1922: 19.00 ft, minor flooding; 31,100 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1923: 24.00 ft, moderate flooding; 43,700 cubic feet per secondFeb 13, 1925: 22.80 ft, moderate flooding; 37,400 cubic feet per secondApr 26, 1926: 15.12 ft, action stage; 20,600 cubic feet per secondNov 5, 1927: 30.85 ft, major flooding; 63,000 cubic feet per secondMay 4, 1929: 17.67 ft, minor flooding; 27,300 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 1930: 16.14 ft, minor flooding; 23,300 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1932: 17.73 ft, minor flooding; 27,300 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1933: 19.99 ft, minor flooding; 30,700 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1934: 19.45 ft, minor flooding; 29,400 cubic feet per secondJan 11, 1935: 16.88 ft, minor flooding; 24,000 cubic feet per secondMar 19, 1936: 36.40 ft, major flooding; 83,000 cubic feet per secondMay 15, 1937: 16.25 ft, minor flooding; 22,500 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1938: 29.50 ft, major flooding; 59,200 cubic feet per secondDec 7, 1938: 17.60 ft, minor flooding; 26,800 cubic feet per secondMay 3, 1940: 19.44 ft, minor flooding; 31,400 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1950: 15.30 ft, action stage; 20,200 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1951: 16.34 ft, minor flooding; 22,400 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1952: 15.40 ft, action stage; 21,300 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1953: 16.20 ft, minor flooding; 22,100 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1954: 15.18 ft, action stage; 20,000 cubic feet per secondApr 30, 1956: 16.24 ft, minor flooding; 16,400 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1960: 16.02 ft, minor flooding; 21,800 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1969: 16.24 ft, minor flooding; 22,200 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1976: 16.16 ft, minor flooding; 22,100 cubic feet per secondMay 14, 2006: 15.16 ft, action stage; 20,800 cubic feet per second Highest, 36.40 ft, Mar 19, 1936 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Merrimack River at Franklin Jct. 1900s: 2 1910s: 5 1920s: 6 1930s: 9 9 1940s: 1 1950s: 3 1960s: 2 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 0 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s
  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, Merrimack River at Franklin Jct.
1Mar 19, 193636.40+20.40Major83,000
2Nov 5, 192730.85+14.85Major63,000
3Sep 22, 193829.50+13.50Major59,200
4Apr 30, 192324.00+8.00Moderate43,700
5Feb 13, 192522.80+6.80Moderate37,400
6Apr 19, 193319.99+3.99Minor30,700
7Apr 21, 191419.50+3.50Minor32,300
8Apr 13, 193419.45+3.45Minor29,400
9May 3, 194019.44+3.44Minor31,400
10Apr 12, 192219.00+3.00Minor31,100
11Feb 26, 191518.80+2.80Minor30,700
12Apr 15, 190918.50+2.50Minor30,000
13Mar 28, 191318.30+2.30Minor29,600
14Apr 13, 193217.73+1.73Minor27,300
15May 4, 192917.67+1.67Minor27,300
16Dec 7, 193817.60+1.60Minor26,800
17Apr 14, 192017.50+1.50Minor27,800
18Apr 16, 190617.20+1.20Minor27,100
19Jan 11, 193516.88+0.88Minor24,000
20May 23, 191916.80+0.80Minor26,300
21Apr 4, 195116.34+0.34Minor22,400
22May 15, 193716.25+0.25Minor22,500
23Apr 30, 195616.24+0.24Minor16,400
24Apr 19, 196916.24+0.24Minor22,200
25Mar 26, 195316.20+0.20Minor22,100
26Apr 2, 197616.16+0.16Minor22,100
27Apr 8, 193016.14+0.14Minor23,300
28Apr 5, 196016.02+0.02Minor21,800
29Jun 18, 191716.000.00Minor24,500
30Jun 3, 195215.40−0.60Action21,300
31Apr 21, 195015.30−0.70Action20,200
32May 18, 191615.20−0.80Action22,700
33May 11, 195415.18−0.82Action20,000
34May 14, 200615.16−0.84Action20,800
35Apr 26, 192615.12−0.88Action20,600
36Nov 3, 190715.00−1.00Action22,300
37Dec 15, 192015.00−1.00Action22,300

The worst floods along the Merrimack River

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

March 19, 1936: 36.40 ft here, major flooding

  • LowellMA · Mar 20, 1936 · 68.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • NashuaNH · Mar 20, 1936 · 41.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • Goffs FallsNH · Mar 20, 1936 · 35.19 ft · Major · its highest
  • ConcordNH · Mar 20, 1936 · 26.20 ft · Major · its highest
  • HaverhillMA · Mar 20, 1936 · 25.75 ft · Major · its highest

November 5, 1927: 30.85 ft here, major flooding

  • ConcordNH · Nov 5, 1927 · 20.80 ft · Major
  • LowellMA · Nov 5, 1927 · 56.50 ft · Moderate

September 22, 1938: 29.50 ft here, major flooding

  • LowellMA · Sep 23, 1938 · 60.57 ft · Major
  • Goffs FallsNH · Sep 23, 1938 · 25.87 ft · Major
  • ConcordNH · Sep 22, 1938 · 23.00 ft · Major
  • NashuaNH · Sep 23, 1938 · 30.50 ft · Moderate

Gauges on the Merrimack River

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

Flood gauges on the Merrimack River
Franklin Jct. this gaugeNH16.036.40 ft, Mar 19, 19363
ConcordNH14.026.20 ft, Mar 20, 19363
Goffs FallsNH11.035.19 ft, Mar 20, 19364
NashuaNH18.041.30 ft, Mar 20, 19361
LowellMA52.068.40 ft, Mar 20, 19365
LawrenceMA24.025.37 ft, Dec 20, 20230
HaverhillMA11.025.75 ft, Mar 20, 19363

Other gauges in Merrimack County

Flood gauges in Merrimack County
Henniker12.021.30 ft, Sep 21, 19381
Concord14.026.20 ft, Mar 20, 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 FRJN3, 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.