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Passaic River at Clifton (Dundee Dam)

Highest listed crest 8.40 ftFlood stage 4.5 ft11 crests since 1902

The Passaic River at Clifton (Dundee Dam) crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 11 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1902 to 2011. The highest, 8.40 ft on October 10, 1903, was major flooding, 3.90 feet above flood stage. 1 other gauge on the Passaic River crested above flood stage within a week of it.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
8.40 ft
October 10, 1903; 35,800 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
4.5 ft
Major flooding from 7.0 ft
Crests at major
1
68th of 125 gauges in New Jersey
Most recent flood crest
August 30, 2011
5.90 ft, minor flooding
Location
Passaic County
Near Garfield (1.0 mi), Elmwood Park (1.6 mi), Passaic (1.7 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Passaic River at Clifton (Dundee Dam)
Action stage3.52Jul 23, 1945The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)4.53Aug 30, 2011Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage6.03Apr 7, 1977Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage7.01Oct 10, 1903Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

11 crests from 1902 to 2011. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Passaic River at Clifton (Dundee Dam), 1902 to 2011 246810ft Flood stage 4.5 ftMajor 7.0 ft Mar 2, 1902: 6.80 ft, moderate flooding; 22,677 cubic feet per secondOct 10, 1903: 8.40 ft, major flooding; 35,800 cubic feet per secondMar 13, 1936: 6.42 ft, moderate floodingSep 23, 1938: 4.30 ft, action stageJul 23, 1945: 3.70 ft, action stage; 22,000 cubic feet per secondApr 7, 1977: 6.00 ft, moderate floodingApr 18, 2007: 4.93 ft, minor flooding; 15,100 cubic feet per secondMar 10, 2008: 3.39 ft, below flood stage; 7,560 cubic feet per secondOct 12, 2008: 2.96 ft, below flood stage; 5,800 cubic feet per secondMar 16, 2010: 5.00 ft, minor floodingAug 30, 2011: 5.90 ft, minor flooding; 247,000 cubic feet per second Highest, 8.40 ft, Oct 10, 1903 19201940196019802000

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Passaic River at Clifton (Dundee Dam) 1900s: 2 2 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 2010s: 2 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  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, Passaic River at Clifton (Dundee Dam)
1Oct 10, 19038.40+3.90Major35,800
2Mar 2, 19026.80+2.30Moderate22,677
3Mar 13, 19366.42+1.92Moderate—
4Apr 7, 19776.00+1.50Moderate—
5Aug 30, 20115.90+1.40Minor247,000
6Mar 16, 20105.00+0.50Minor—
7Apr 18, 20074.93+0.43Minor15,100
8Sep 23, 19384.30−0.20Action—
9Jul 23, 19453.70−0.80Action22,000
10Mar 10, 20083.39−1.11Below flood stage7,560
11Oct 12, 20082.96−1.54Below flood stage5,800

The worst floods along the Passaic River

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

October 10, 1903: 8.40 ft here, major flooding

March 13, 1936: 6.42 ft here, moderate flooding

  • Pine BrookNJ · Mar 13, 1936 · 20.80 ft · Moderate
  • MillingtonNJ · Mar 12, 1936 · 9.18 ft · Moderate

August 30, 2011: 5.90 ft here, minor flooding

  • Pine BrookNJ · Aug 30, 2011 · 24.12 ft · Major · its highest
  • Little FallsNJ · Aug 30, 2011 · 14.19 ft · Major · its highest
  • MillingtonNJ · Aug 29, 2011 · 10.26 ft · Major · its highest
  • Beatties DamNJ · Aug 30, 2011 · 14.10 ft · Minor · its highest
  • ChathamNJ · Aug 29, 2011 · 7.76 ft · Minor

Gauges on the Passaic River

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

Flood gauges on the Passaic River
MillingtonNJ8.010.26 ft, Aug 29, 20112
ChathamNJ6.09.36 ft, Aug 2, 19730
Pine BrookNJ19.024.12 ft, Aug 30, 201113
SingacNJ8.512.44 ft, Dec 20, 20231
Beatties DamNJ11.314.10 ft, Aug 30, 20110
Little FallsNJ7.014.19 ft, Aug 30, 201122
Clifton (Dundee Dam) this gaugeNJ4.58.40 ft, Oct 10, 19031

Other gauges in Passaic County

Flood gauges in Passaic County
N. Haledon6.010.93 ft, May 16, 19902
Beatties Dam11.314.10 ft, Aug 30, 20110
Little Falls7.014.19 ft, Aug 30, 201122
Singac8.512.44 ft, Dec 20, 20231
Macopin5.57.75 ft, Mar 12, 19362
Riverdale8.013.60 ft, Apr 5, 19842
Pompton Plains16.025.24 ft, Aug 29, 201116
Pompton Lakes11.522.62 ft, Aug 29, 20119
Wanaque6.010.82 ft, Apr 5, 19842

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DDCN4, 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.