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Merrimack River at Goffs Falls

Highest listed crest 35.19 ftFlood stage 11.0 ft60 crests since 1936

The Merrimack River at Goffs Falls crested at major flood stage 4 times among the 60 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1936 to 2023. The highest, 35.19 ft on March 20, 1936, was major flooding, 24.19 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
35.19 ft
March 20, 1936; 150,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
11.0 ft
Major flooding from 17.0 ft
Crests at major
4
3rd of 34 gauges in New Hampshire
Most recent flood crest
December 19, 2023
11.41 ft, minor flooding
Location
Hillsborough County
Near Manchester (2.7 mi), Nashua (13.8 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 Goffs Falls
Action stage10.025Apr 14, 2008The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)11.029Dec 19, 2023Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage15.01Apr 17, 2007Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage17.04May 15, 2006Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

60 crests from 1936 to 2023. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Merrimack River at Goffs Falls, 1936 to 2023 010203040ft Flood stage 11.0 ftMajor 17.0 ft Mar 20, 1936: 35.19 ft, major flooding; 150,000 cubic feet per secondSep 23, 1938: 25.87 ft, major flooding; 102,500 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1939: 12.07 ft, minor flooding; 36,500 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1940: 13.20 ft, minor flooding; 41,800 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1944: 11.39 ft, minor flooding; 35,000 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1945: 10.49 ft, action stage; 303,006 cubic feet per secondDec 9, 1945: 10.51 ft, action stage; 304,006 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 1947: 10.14 ft, action stage; 277,006 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1948: 12.15 ft, minor flooding; 38,200 cubic feet per secondApr 22, 1950: 10.42 ft, action stage; 292,006 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1951: 13.45 ft, minor flooding; 43,900 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1952: 13.30 ft, minor flooding; 43,900 cubic feet per secondMar 28, 1953: 13.90 ft, minor flooding; 46,900 cubic feet per secondMay 11, 1954: 12.46 ft, minor flooding; 38,600 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1956: 11.55 ft, minor flooding; 34,300 cubic feet per secondApr 24, 1958: 10.78 ft, action stage; 306,006 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1959: 12.01 ft, minor flooding; 36,500 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1960: 17.42 ft, major flooding; 59,000 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1962: 11.59 ft, minor flooding; 34,500 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1963: 10.26 ft, action stage; 281,006 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 1964: 10.60 ft, action stage; 297,006 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1967: 10.75 ft, action stage; 304,006 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1969: 12.11 ft, minor flooding; 37,000 cubic feet per secondFeb 12, 1970: 10.17 ft, action stage; 277,006 cubic feet per secondApr 21, 1972: 10.49 ft, action stage; 292,006 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1973: 10.55 ft, action stage; 295,006 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1974: 11.50 ft, minor flooding; 34,000 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1976: 11.91 ft, minor flooding; 36,000 cubic feet per secondMar 15, 1977: 13.22 ft, minor flooding; 42,200 cubic feet per secondMar 26, 1979: 11.95 ft, minor flooding; 36,200 cubic feet per secondApr 12, 1980: 10.45 ft, action stage; 289,006 cubic feet per secondFeb 26, 1981: 11.55 ft, minor flooding; 34,200 cubic feet per secondApr 19, 1982: 10.80 ft, action stage; 306,006 cubic feet per secondMar 21, 1983: 11.29 ft, minor flooding; 32,900 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1984: 13.36 ft, minor flooding; 42,900 cubic feet per secondJan 28, 1986: 11.01 ft, minor flooding; 31,700 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1987: 14.47 ft, minor flooding; 48,300 cubic feet per secondMay 1, 1988: 10.44 ft, action stage; 289,006 cubic feet per secondMay 8, 1989: 10.10 ft, action stage; 272,006 cubic feet per secondMar 18, 1990: 10.93 ft, action stage; 24,800 cubic feet per secondApr 13, 1993: 10.89 ft, action stage; 311,006 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1994: 10.12 ft, action stage; 273,006 cubic feet per secondNov 15, 1995: 9.70 ft, below flood stage; 25,257 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1996: 12.29 ft, minor flooding; 37,900 cubic feet per secondMay 13, 1996: 11.30 ft, minor floodingOct 22, 1996: 11.40 ft, minor flooding; 33,900 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1998: 10.00 ft, action stageMar 31, 1998: 10.40 ft, action stageJun 17, 1998: 12.45 ft, minor floodingSep 19, 1999: 10.66 ft, action stage; 300,006 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 2000: 10.24 ft, action stage; 279,006 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2001: 10.42 ft, action stage; 288,006 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 2004: 10.67 ft, action stage; 300,006 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 2005: 11.61 ft, minor floodingOct 16, 2005: 13.20 ft, minor floodingMay 15, 2006: 19.87 ft, major flooding; 74,766 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2007: 16.79 ft, moderate flooding; 59,735 cubic feet per secondApr 14, 2008: 10.83 ft, action stage; 30,800 cubic feet per secondApr 1, 2010: 11.60 ft, minor flooding; 34,480 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 11.41 ft, minor flooding; 33,579 cubic feet per second Highest, 35.19 ft, Mar 20, 1936 19401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Merrimack River at Goffs Falls 1930s: 3 1940s: 3 1950s: 6 6 1960s: 3 1970s: 4 1980s: 5 1990s: 4 2000s: 4 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

The 50 highest of 60 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Merrimack River at Goffs Falls
1Mar 20, 193635.19+24.19Major150,000
2Sep 23, 193825.87+14.87Major102,500
3May 15, 200619.87+8.87Major74,766
4Apr 6, 196017.42+6.42Major59,000
5Apr 17, 200716.79+5.79Moderate59,735
6Apr 6, 198714.47+3.47Minor48,300
7Mar 28, 195313.90+2.90Minor46,900
8Apr 12, 195113.45+2.45Minor43,900
9Jun 1, 198413.36+2.36Minor42,900
10Apr 7, 195213.30+2.30Minor43,900
11Mar 15, 197713.22+2.22Minor42,200
12Apr 14, 194013.20+2.20Minor41,800
13Oct 16, 200513.20+2.20Minor—
14May 11, 195412.46+1.46Minor38,600
15Jun 17, 199812.45+1.45Minor—
16Apr 17, 199612.29+1.29Minor37,900
17Mar 23, 194812.15+1.15Minor38,200
18Apr 19, 196912.11+1.11Minor37,000
19Apr 21, 193912.07+1.07Minor36,500
20Apr 5, 195912.01+1.01Minor36,500
21Mar 26, 197911.95+0.95Minor36,200
22Apr 3, 197611.91+0.91Minor36,000
23Apr 4, 200511.61+0.61Minor—
24Apr 1, 201011.60+0.60Minor34,480
25Apr 2, 196211.59+0.59Minor34,500
26May 1, 195611.55+0.55Minor34,300
27Feb 26, 198111.55+0.55Minor34,200
28Dec 22, 197411.50+0.50Minor34,000
29Dec 19, 202311.41+0.41Minor33,579
30Oct 22, 199611.40+0.40Minor33,900
31Jun 26, 194411.39+0.39Minor35,000
32May 13, 199611.30+0.30Minor—
33Mar 21, 198311.29+0.29Minor32,900
34Jan 28, 198611.01+0.01Minor31,700
35Mar 18, 199010.93−0.07Action24,800
36Apr 13, 199310.89−0.11Action311,006
37Apr 14, 200810.83−0.17Action30,800
38Apr 19, 198210.80−0.20Action306,006
39Apr 24, 195810.78−0.22Action306,006
40Apr 4, 196710.75−0.25Action304,006
41Apr 2, 200410.67−0.33Action300,006
42Sep 19, 199910.66−0.34Action300,006
43Apr 16, 196410.60−0.40Action297,006
44Apr 3, 197310.55−0.45Action295,006
45Dec 9, 194510.51−0.49Action304,006
46Mar 22, 194510.49−0.51Action303,006
47Apr 21, 197210.49−0.51Action292,006
48Apr 12, 198010.45−0.55Action289,006
49May 1, 198810.44−0.56Action289,006
50Apr 22, 195010.42−0.58Action292,006

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 20, 1936: 35.19 ft here, major flooding

  • LowellMA · Mar 20, 1936 · 68.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • NashuaNH · Mar 20, 1936 · 41.30 ft · Major · its highest
  • Franklin Jct.NH · Mar 19, 1936 · 36.40 ft · Major · its highest
  • ConcordNH · Mar 20, 1936 · 26.20 ft · Major · its highest
  • HaverhillMA · Mar 20, 1936 · 25.75 ft · Major · its highest

September 23, 1938: 25.87 ft here, major flooding

  • LowellMA · Sep 23, 1938 · 60.57 ft · Major
  • Franklin Jct.NH · Sep 22, 1938 · 29.50 ft · Major
  • ConcordNH · Sep 22, 1938 · 23.00 ft · Major
  • NashuaNH · Sep 23, 1938 · 30.50 ft · Moderate

May 15, 2006: 19.87 ft here, major flooding

  • LowellMA · May 15, 2006 · 58.84 ft · Major
  • HaverhillMA · May 15, 2006 · 17.05 ft · Major
  • NashuaNH · May 15, 2006 · 26.00 ft · Moderate
  • ConcordNH · May 15, 2006 · 15.12 ft · Minor

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.NH16.036.40 ft, Mar 19, 19363
ConcordNH14.026.20 ft, Mar 20, 19363
Goffs Falls this gaugeNH11.035.19 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 Hillsborough County

Flood gauges in Hillsborough County
Peterborough5.515.00 ft, Sep 21, 19381
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 GOFN3, 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.