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Rockaway River at Boonton below reservoir

Highest listed crest 9.73 ftFlood stage 5.0 ft57 crests since 1903

The Rockaway River at Boonton below reservoir crested at major flood stage 7 times among the 57 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1903 to 2025. The highest, 9.73 ft on August 29, 2011, was major flooding, 4.73 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
9.73 ft
August 29, 2011; 6,140 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
5.0 ft
Major flooding from 8.0 ft
Crests at major
7
16th of 125 gauges in New Jersey
Most recent flood crest
June 1, 2025
5.03 ft, minor flooding
Location
Morris County
Near Lincoln Park (5.1 mi), Kinnelon (5.9 mi), Morristown (8.2 mi)

Flood stages

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

Flood categories, Rockaway River at Boonton below reservoir
Action stage4.50—The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)5.034Jun 1, 2025Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage7.016Jan 10, 2024Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage8.07Aug 29, 2011Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

57 crests from 1903 to 2025. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rockaway River at Boonton below reservoir, 1903 to 2025 5678910ft Flood stage 5.0 ftMajor 8.0 ft Oct 10, 1903: 7.80 ft, moderate flooding; 3,910 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 1936: 8.03 ft, major flooding; 3,750 cubic feet per secondJun 2, 1952: 7.18 ft, moderate flooding; 3,100 cubic feet per secondMay 29, 1968: 8.20 ft, major flooding; 4,260 cubic feet per secondMar 25, 1969: 5.37 ft, minor flooding; 1,450 cubic feet per secondApr 3, 1970: 7.16 ft, moderate flooding; 3,080 cubic feet per secondAug 29, 1971: 6.78 ft, minor flooding; 2,700 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 1972: 7.36 ft, moderate flooding; 3,480 cubic feet per secondFeb 3, 1973: 7.22 ft, moderate flooding; 3,150 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 1973: 7.26 ft, moderate flooding; 3,190 cubic feet per secondMar 23, 1977: 7.13 ft, moderate flooding; 3,050 cubic feet per secondJan 25, 1979: 8.30 ft, major flooding; 4,380 cubic feet per secondMay 12, 1981: 5.79 ft, minor flooding; 2,090 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1983: 6.77 ft, minor flooding; 2,940 cubic feet per secondApr 6, 1984: 8.17 ft, major flooding; 4,260 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 1986: 5.66 ft, minor flooding; 1,980 cubic feet per secondApr 5, 1987: 6.76 ft, minor flooding; 2,930 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1989: 6.61 ft, minor flooding; 2,790 cubic feet per secondMay 17, 1990: 7.40 ft, moderate flooding; 3,520 cubic feet per secondJun 6, 1992: 6.20 ft, minor flooding; 2,780 cubic feet per secondApr 2, 1993: 6.17 ft, minor flooding; 2,410 cubic feet per secondMar 30, 1994: 5.51 ft, minor flooding; 1,860 cubic feet per secondJan 20, 1996: 6.34 ft, minor floodingJan 28, 1996: 7.27 ft, moderate flooding; 3,400 cubic feet per secondOct 20, 1996: 7.96 ft, moderate flooding; 4,070 cubic feet per secondDec 2, 1996: 6.27 ft, minor floodingJun 15, 1998: 6.37 ft, minor flooding; 2,420 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 1999: 6.24 ft, minor flooding; 2,310 cubic feet per secondAug 14, 2000: 6.58 ft, minor flooding; 2,610 cubic feet per secondMar 22, 2003: 5.25 ft, minor floodingJun 2, 2003: 5.29 ft, minor floodingJun 22, 2003: 5.97 ft, minor floodingOct 30, 2003: 5.30 ft, minor floodingDec 12, 2003: 6.26 ft, minor floodingDec 25, 2003: 5.67 ft, minor floodingApr 3, 2005: 7.19 ft, moderate flooding; 3,210 cubic feet per secondApr 16, 2007: 8.09 ft, major flooding; 4,200 cubic feet per secondMar 14, 2010: 8.12 ft, major floodingMar 23, 2010: 5.99 ft, minor floodingMar 31, 2010: 6.35 ft, minor floodingMar 7, 2011: 6.92 ft, minor flooding; 2,940 cubic feet per secondMar 12, 2011: 7.95 ft, moderate flooding; 4,035 cubic feet per secondApr 17, 2011: 6.75 ft, minor floodingAug 29, 2011: 9.73 ft, major flooding; 6,140 cubic feet per secondSep 9, 2011: 7.23 ft, moderate flooding; 3,250 cubic feet per secondNov 27, 2018: 5.14 ft, minor flooding; 1,451 cubic feet per secondDec 22, 2018: 5.63 ft, minor flooding; 1,853 cubic feet per secondDec 1, 2020: 5.00 ft, minor flooding; 1,448 cubic feet per secondDec 26, 2020: 5.34 ft, minor flooding; 1,682 cubic feet per secondAug 23, 2021: 6.15 ft, minor flooding; 2,145 cubic feet per secondSep 2, 2021: 7.03 ft, moderate flooding; 2,935 cubic feet per secondApr 8, 2022: 6.82 ft, minor flooding; 2,924 cubic feet per secondJun 27, 2023: 5.86 ft, minor flooding; 2,073 cubic feet per secondDec 19, 2023: 7.84 ft, moderate flooding; 4,172 cubic feet per secondDec 29, 2023: 6.03 ft, minor flooding; 2,209 cubic feet per secondJan 10, 2024: 7.82 ft, moderate flooding; 4,145 cubic feet per secondJun 1, 2025: 5.03 ft, minor flooding Highest, 9.73 ft, Aug 29, 2011 192019401960198020002020

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rockaway River at Boonton below reservoir 1900s: 1 1910s: 0 1920s: 0 1930s: 1 1940s: 0 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 7 1980s: 6 1990s: 10 10 2000s: 9 2010s: 10 2020s: 10 1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
  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 57 listed crests.

Highest listed crests, Rockaway River at Boonton below reservoir
1Aug 29, 20119.73+4.73Major6,140
2Jan 25, 19798.30+3.30Major4,380
3May 29, 19688.20+3.20Major4,260
4Apr 6, 19848.17+3.17Major4,260
5Mar 14, 20108.12+3.12Major—
6Apr 16, 20078.09+3.09Major4,200
7Mar 12, 19368.03+3.03Major3,750
8Oct 20, 19967.96+2.96Moderate4,070
9Mar 12, 20117.95+2.95Moderate4,035
10Dec 19, 20237.84+2.84Moderate4,172
11Jan 10, 20247.82+2.82Moderate4,145
12Oct 10, 19037.80+2.80Moderate3,910
13May 17, 19907.40+2.40Moderate3,520
14Jun 1, 19727.36+2.36Moderate3,480
15Jan 28, 19967.27+2.27Moderate3,400
16Dec 22, 19737.26+2.26Moderate3,190
17Sep 9, 20117.23+2.23Moderate3,250
18Feb 3, 19737.22+2.22Moderate3,150
19Apr 3, 20057.19+2.19Moderate3,210
20Jun 2, 19527.18+2.18Moderate3,100
21Apr 3, 19707.16+2.16Moderate3,080
22Mar 23, 19777.13+2.13Moderate3,050
23Sep 2, 20217.03+2.03Moderate2,935
24Mar 7, 20116.92+1.92Minor2,940
25Apr 8, 20226.82+1.82Minor2,924
26Aug 29, 19716.78+1.78Minor2,700
27Apr 17, 19836.77+1.77Minor2,940
28Apr 5, 19876.76+1.76Minor2,930
29Apr 17, 20116.75+1.75Minor—
30May 17, 19896.61+1.61Minor2,790
31Aug 14, 20006.58+1.58Minor2,610
32Jun 15, 19986.37+1.37Minor2,420
33Mar 31, 20106.35+1.35Minor—
34Jan 20, 19966.34+1.34Minor—
35Dec 2, 19966.27+1.27Minor—
36Dec 12, 20036.26+1.26Minor—
37Mar 22, 19996.24+1.24Minor2,310
38Jun 6, 19926.20+1.20Minor2,780
39Apr 2, 19936.17+1.17Minor2,410
40Aug 23, 20216.15+1.15Minor2,145
41Dec 29, 20236.03+1.03Minor2,209
42Mar 23, 20105.99+0.99Minor—
43Jun 22, 20035.97+0.97Minor—
44Jun 27, 20235.86+0.86Minor2,073
45May 12, 19815.79+0.79Minor2,090
46Dec 25, 20035.67+0.67Minor—
47Apr 17, 19865.66+0.66Minor1,980
48Dec 22, 20185.63+0.63Minor1,853
49Mar 30, 19945.51+0.51Minor1,860
50Mar 25, 19695.37+0.37Minor1,450

Gauges on the Rockaway River

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

Flood gauges on the Rockaway River
Boonton above reservoirNJ4.54.71 ft, Dec 18, 20230
Boonton below reservoir this gaugeNJ5.09.73 ft, Aug 29, 20117

Other gauges in Morris County

Flood gauges in Morris County
Picatinny3.03.84 ft, Aug 28, 20110
Pottersville4.55.94 ft, Jul 7, 19840
Chatham6.09.36 ft, Aug 2, 19730
Pine Brook19.024.12 ft, Aug 30, 201113
Boonton above reservoir4.54.71 ft, Dec 18, 20230
Morristown6.09.60 ft, Aug 28, 20114
Pine Brook9.012.54 ft, Aug 30, 20110
at Midwood7.515.20 ft, Apr 16, 20071
at Ryerson12.017.00 ft, Apr 16, 20071

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

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge BONN4, 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.