Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Hackensack River at Rivervale

Highest listed crest 12.26 ftFlood stage 5.5 ft6 crests since 1984

The Hackensack River at Rivervale crested at major flood stage 3 times among the 6 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1984 to 2011. The highest, 12.26 ft on August 28, 2011, was major flooding, 6.76 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
12.26 ft
August 28, 2011; 4,660 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.5 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
3
39th of 125 gauges in New Jersey
Most recent flood crest
August 28, 2011
12.26 ft, major flooding
Location
Bergen County
Near Westwood (2.3 mi), Hillsdale (2.9 mi), Dumont (3.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Hackensack River at Rivervale
Action stage4.51Mar 9, 2008The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.51Apr 4, 1987Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage6.51May 30, 1984Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.03Aug 28, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

6 crests from 1984 to 2011. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Hackensack River at Rivervale, 1984 to 2011 468101214ft Flood stage 5.5 ftMajor 8.0 ft May 30, 1984: 7.85 ft, moderate flooding; 2,440 cubic feet per secondApr 4, 1987: 6.24 ft, minor flooding; 1,800 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 12.19 ft, major flooding; 4,650 cubic feet per secondMar 9, 2008: 5.21 ft, action stage; 1,390 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 8.12 ft, major flooding; 2,550 cubic feet per secondAug 28, 2011: 12.26 ft, major flooding; 4,660 cubic feet per second Highest, 12.26 ft, Aug 28, 2011 198519901995200020052010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Hackensack River at Rivervale 1980s: 2 2 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Hackensack River at Rivervale
1Aug 28, 201112.26+6.76Major4,660
2Apr 16, 200712.19+6.69Major4,650
3Mar 14, 20108.12+2.62Major2,550
4May 30, 19847.85+2.35Moderate2,440
5Apr 4, 19876.24+0.74Minor1,800
6Mar 9, 20085.21−0.29Action1,390

The worst floods along the Hackensack River

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

April 16, 2007: 12.19 ft here, major flooding

  • New MilfordNJ · Apr 16, 2007 · 12.36 ft · Major · its highest

March 14, 2010: 8.12 ft here, major flooding

April 4, 1987: 6.24 ft here, minor flooding

Gauges on the Hackensack River

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

Flood gauges on the Hackensack River
Rivervale this gaugeNJ5.512.26 ft, Aug 28, 20113
New MilfordNJ6.012.36 ft, Apr 16, 20072

Other gauges in Bergen County

Flood gauges in Bergen County
New Milford6.012.36 ft, Apr 16, 20072
Ho-Ho-Kus3.07.32 ft, Sep 16, 19992
Westwood5.011.40 ft, Sep 16, 19991
Mahwah8.015.78 ft, Aug 28, 20113
Lodi5.513.94 ft, Sep 16, 199916
Ridgewood5.011.42 ft, Aug 28, 20111
Upper Saddle River4.55.64 ft, Sep 16, 19991

Bergen County: every hazard · River floods across the country · New Jersey

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge RIVN4, 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.