Charles River, New Charles River Dam at Boston Water Level
Live river level, flow, historical records and forecast for Charles River, New Charles River Dam at Boston in MA, United States, built from official government gauge data.
- Location MA, United States
- Watershed charles
- Primary gauge 01104715 (USGS)
About Charles River, New Charles River Dam at Boston
Charles River is a gauged river in Massachusetts.
Season by season
This station drains 335 square miles (868 km2) above the New Charles River Dam at Boston, so the level here reflects what arrives from a fairly large upstream area. In this part of New England, the main seasonal pattern is the one that matters for docks, bank access, and any intake tied to the river: higher water tends to come with spring snowmelt and rain freshet, while summer usually brings lower water.
At this gauge, the typical high month is July at 107.68 ft (32.82 m), and the typical low month is January at 107.09 ft (32.64 m). That spread is 7 in (17.8 cm) over the year, so the river does not swing far in an average season, even though short-lived rises can still matter close to the dam and the waterfront.
Records and rises
The record high here is 108.21 ft (32.98 m) in November 2015. The record low is 106.24 ft (32.38 m) in April 2016. Those two marks show the range this reach has already seen in 18 years of record.
For anyone using the river day to day, the useful point is not just the absolute level. It is the change from the usual seasonal band and how long that change lasts. A rise that pushes toward the 2015 mark can change freeboard, shoreline access, and how quickly a low landing becomes marginal. A drop toward the 2016 low can leave fixed-depth uses with less margin than the calendar might suggest.
Reading the hero number
The number on this page is judged against the median level for this calendar day across the station’s record, which is the better comparison for a river that moves through the seasons. Raw elevation by itself does not say whether today is typical for this date.
This reading comes from the U.S. Geological Survey. With 18 years on record, the daily median gives local context for today’s stage at the New Charles River Dam at Boston, instead of forcing you to compare it with a level from another month or another part of the year.
How this page is built
Readings come from official government gauges and are rolled into daily records: the daily mean, high and low for every day on record. Each calendar day gets its own baseline from the full history, so the level you see is compared against what this specific date usually looks like rather than an annual average.
How Nibi Metrics works · Water stories
Nibi Metrics - live water levels, flow, and forecasts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK
Real-time water levels, forecasts, and alerts for lakes and rivers across Canada, the US and the UK. Built on official government data.
Nibi Metrics tracks more than 13,000 gauged lakes and rivers across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, reading directly from official federal monitoring networks: the Water Survey of Canada, the United States Geological Survey, Quebec's provincial hydrometric network, and the Environment Agency for England. Every number on the platform is measured, not modelled - taken from a government gauge on the water itself and compared against that location's own historical record for this exact date.
What you can see for any monitored lake or river
The level right now, in feet or metres, updated as the source agency publishes new readings - for many stations that is every five to fifteen minutes. How today compares to typical: every location carries its own typical-for-this-date band built from its historical record, so a reading is never just a number - it is above, below, or near what this water usually does on this calendar day. Which way it is moving: a measured RISING, FALLING, or STEADY verdict computed from the gauge's own recent readings, with the rate of change - the difference between a flood ending and one beginning. What comes next: level forecasts up to 72 hours ahead, driven by the gauge's recent behaviour, upstream water, and quantitative precipitation forecasts, alongside live radar, lightning, and weather for the surrounding region.
Alerts that watch the water for you
Set a threshold on any location - a level, a distance above typical, or a rate of climb - and Nibi emails or notifies you the moment the gauge crosses it. Cottagers use it for spring freshet, anglers for river conditions, marinas and municipalities for operations. The scanning runs around the clock against the same measured data shown on every page.
Where Nibi comes from
Nibi means water in Anishinaabemowin. The platform began at a family cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, where the spring melt floods the shoreline most years and the only forecast was standing on the dock, looking, and guessing. It grew into an independent, member-funded platform run by Muskoka Research Inc. - no investors, no data resale, and a privacy policy shorter than most cookie banners. The core data is free for everyone, forever; paid plans add automation like multi-location alerts, deep history, and reports.
Coverage
Nibi spans the continent: every Canadian province and territory with active federal gauges - from Vancouver Island rivers to the Muskoka lakes, prairie reservoirs, and Quebec's hydrometric network - and the United States from Maine to the Texas Hill Country, the Ohio Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Coverage grows where the water news is: when a basin floods, its gauges join the platform with their full historical records attached. Many stations report every five to fifteen minutes; most report at least hourly; every page states exactly when its gauge last spoke.
Free forever, funded by members
The core promise is simple: the water data is free, for everyone, forever. Live levels, maps, radar, and recent history never sit behind a paywall. Paid plans fund the platform by adding automation - multi-location alerts, decades of history, longer forecasts, and PDF reports - so the people who need more carry the cost for everyone who just needs to check the lake before driving up. There are no investors and no advertising deals shaping what the data says.
Water Stories
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The science of snow water equivalent and why it drives the season ahead.
What the numbers on the measuring stick actually tell you.
Why Central and South Texas rivers go from gravel beds to fifty-year records in an afternoon - including July 2026 on the Nueces.
One percent, every year, forever - unwrapping hydrology's most misunderstood phrase, and how it differs from our own percentiles.
How every number is computed - About the platform
